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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/historyofoldprOOhale 


A    HISTORY 


OLD  PRESBYTERIAN  CONGREGATION  OF  "THE  PEOPLE 
OF  MAIDENHEAD  AND  HOPEWELL," 


MORE    ESPECIALLY   OF    THE 


mm  p  j* 

J'irst ;  jttsbgtman  fyjmxnh  of  ftopemifl, 


PENNINGTON,  NEW  JERSEY, 


DELIVERED  AT  THE  PASTOR  S  REQUEST, 


On   Sabbath   Morning,   Jnly   3d,   1876, 


Rev.  GEORGE  HALE,  D.D., 


LATELY    PASTOR   OF   THE    CHURCH. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESS    OF    HENRY    B.    ASHMEAD, 

Nos.  1102  &  1104  SANSOM  STREET. 

1876. 


The  following  correspondence  will  explain  the  appearance  in  print  of  this 
Historical  Discourse : 

Pennington,  July  5,  1S76. 
Rev.  Dr.  George  Hale: 

Dear  Brother  : — Please  accept  our  sincere  thanks  for  the  interesting  and  elabo- 
rate sermon  delivered  in  our  church  July  2d,  1876,  so  appropriate  to  the  Centen- 
nial year  of  our  nation.  While  we  are  gratified  to  know  that  it  shall  find  a  safe 
place  in  the  archives  of  the  Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  we  ask  the  privilege  of 
having  it  published,  that  we  may  have  it  in  our  homes  and  extend  it  to  the  many 
closely  allied  to  our  Church,  whose  history  is  half  a  century  older  than  our  national 
existence  * 

DANIEL  R.  FOSTER,  Pastor. 


ELDERS. 
John  E.  Burd, 
'  Enoch  A.  Titus, 
J.  Smith  Hart, 
Azauiah  Hunt, 
Ralph  Ege. 


DEACONS. 
Daniel  C.  Titus, 
Jonathan  S.  Hart, 
John  S.  Vancleve, 
George  Woolsey, 
Peter  V.  D.  Schenck, 
Jonathan  V.  Blackwell. 


TRUSTEES. 
Henry  B.  Perrine, 
Samuel  B.  Ketcham, 
John  G.  Muirheid, 
John  E.  Burd, 
Jonathan  S.  Hart, 
Daniel  C.  Titus, 
Ralph  Ege. 


Pennington,  July  6,  1876. 
To  Rev.  Daniel  R.  Foster,  and  the 

Elders,  Deacons  and  Trustees  of  Pennington  Church. 
Beloved  Brethren  : — I  cheerfully  comply  with  the  request  contained  in  yours 
of  the  5th  inst.,  and  place  the  discourse  in  your  hands  for  publication. 
With  sincere  regards,  yours  ever, 

GEORGE  HALE. 


At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  held  May, 
187a,  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

1.  "That  the  first  Sabbath  in  July,  1876,  be  designated  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving 
and  praise  to  God,  for  the  manifold  blessings  with  which  He  has  crowned  us  as  a 
people. 

2.  ''That  the  pastor  of  each  church  deliver  a  discourse  on  that  day,  if  not  pre- 
viously done,  on  the  History  of  his  Church." 


,fi£C 

H3QL0GIC 


HISTORICAL  DISCOURSE. 


Tell  ve  your  children  of  it,  and  let  tour  children  tell  their 
children,  and  their  children  another  generation. joel   i.  3. 

It  is  just  two  hundred  years  yesterday  since  "  the 
old  Province  Line"  the  division  line  between  East  New 
Jersey  and  West  New  Jersey,  was  fixed — a  compromise 
of  vast  importance  to  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  New 
Jersey.  "  This  was  concluded  by  a  deed  between 
George  Carteret  of  the  one  part  and  the  trustees  of 
Edward  Billinge  on  the  other.     July  1,  1676." 

Already,  March  20,  1664,  Charles  II.,  King  of  Great 
Britain,  had,  by  royal  charter,  made  an  extensive  grant 
of  territory  in  America  to  his  brother  James,  the  Duke 
of  York.  On  the  23d  of  June,  in  the  same  year,  James 
conveyed  to  Sir  George  Carteret  and  Lord  Berkley  the 
section  which  was  then  for  the  first  time  named  New 
Jersey,  with  boundaries  corresponding  exactly  with  the 
present  limits  of  this  State.  Sir  George  Carteret  sold 
out  his  right  in  the  part,  which  subsequently  bore  the 
name  of  West  Jersey,  to  John  Fenwicke,  as  trustee  for 
Edward  Billinge  and  others.  This  section  having  been 
divided  into  one  hundred  parts  and  distributed  among 
the  proprietors,  the   tract  called  the  thirty  thousand 


6 

acres  above  the  Falls  of  the  Delaware  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Thomas  Sadler  and  Edward  Billinge,  who,  on  the  20th 
of  October,  1685,  sold  out  their  title  and  interest  to 
Dr.  Daniel  Cox,  of  London.  This  is  the  original  town- 
ship of  Hopewell,  the  first  accurate  survey  of  which 
extant  is  to  be  found  in  the  Book  of  Surveys,  page  103, 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Trenton,  hav- 
ing the  marginal  note,  "  Re-survey  of  Hopewell  tract 
for  Col.  Cox^  31,000." 

September,  1707. 

Kesurveyed  then  for  Coll.  Daniel  Cox,  his  tract  of  land  called  Hope- 
well, beginning  at  the  upper  corner  of  the  same  by  the  river  Delaware, 
at  a  white  oak  corner  in  the  low  land,  and  runs  thence  East  South  East 
fourty  chain  to  a  niarkt  maple  and  hickory  for  a  corner,  then  east  three 
hundred  and  one  chain  to  a  white  oak  for  a  corner,  then  north  by  west 
one  hundred  and  sixty  five  chain  to  a  white  oak  corner,  then  East  two 
hundred  sixty  four  chain  to  a  white  oak  corner,  then  again  East  two 
hundred  and  fourty  chains  to  a  white  oak  corner  in  a  line  called  the 
Scotch  line,  or  line  of  partition  between  East  and  West  Jersey,  then 
along  the  said  line  neare  South  South  West  four  miles  and  thirty  two 
chains  to  a  white  oak  corner  in  the  line  of  Maidenhead  Indian  purchase, 
then  alonge  the  said  line,  south  west  and  south  south  west  to  the  head 
of  a  creek  called  little  Shabbaconck,  then  south  west  to  a  creek  called 
Great  Shabbakonk,  then  down  by  the  same  fivety  six  chaine  to  a  tree 
markt  for  a  corner  on  the  south  west  side  thereof,  the  south  west  eighty 
two  chain  to  a  hickery  corner  to  land  surveyed  to  Thomas  Hutchinson, 
then  by  the  same  North  West  two  hundred  eighty  five  chaines  to  a  hick- 
ery corner  by  the  land  surveyed  to  Pope  and  Wetherill,  then  bounded 
by  the  same  by  a  line  North  East  seventy  three  chains  and  East  by 
South  fourty  nine  chaine,  and  South  Eleaven  chaine  and  East  by  South 
fivety  six  chaine,  and  North  by  East  one  hundred  and  three  chaines  and 
a  halfe,  and  west  sixty  four  chains,  and  South  West  by  West  one  hundred 
and  ninety  eight  chaine  to  a  hickery  corner  at  the  Dellawar  aforesaid, 
and  so  bounded  up  by  the  said  river  to  the  first  mentioned  corner  con- 
taining one  and  thirty  thousand  acres  besides  allowances  for  highwayes. 

Resurveyed  by  me,  Daniel  Leeds. 

Dr.  Daniel  Coxe  owned  twenty-two  shares  of  propri- 
ety, was  Governor  of  West  Jersey  from  1687  to  1690, 


and  appointed  Edward  Hunlock  his  deputy.  In  1691 
he  conveyed  the  government  of  West  Jersey  and  terri- 
tories to  a  company  of  proprietaries  called  the  West 
Jersey  Society,  for  the  sum  of  nine  thousand  pounds 
sterling.     (Smith's  N.  J.  pp.  190,  207.) 

Possibly  it  was  this  conveyance  of  the  right  of  gov- 
ernment that  furnished  the  pretext  for  the  sale  of  the 
numerous  tracts  of  land  in  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead, 
to  parties  who  were  afterwards  ejected  from  their  lands 
because  the  title  under  Thomas  Revell  was  not  valid. 
Of  this  more  hereafter. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  know  that  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  the  land  in  this  region  was  fairly 
purchased  of  the  Indians.  We  have  here  a  copy  of  the 
deed  from  the  Indian  Chiefs  to  Adlord  Bowde,  Agent 
of  Dr.  Daniel  Coxe,  as  follows  : 

To  all  people  to  whom  this  prsent  writing  shall  come,  Hoham,  Teplao- 
pamun,  Mehekighue,  Capernonickon,  Nahusing,  Mehkaekan  and  Sha- 
wonne,  Indian  Sachimachers  and  owners  of  the  following  tract  of  land 
in  the  Province  of  West  Jersey,  send  greeting, 

Know  ye  that  the  said  Indian  Sachimachers  and  owners  of  the  Tract 
of  land  hereinafter  mentioned  for  and  in  consideration  of  one  hundred 
fathoms  of  wampum,  Tenne  stript  Dutch  Duffulds,  Tenne  broad  stea- 
welwater  matchroles  sixty  matchroles,  Thirty  Gunns,  Twenty  Kettles, 
Twenty  shirts,  fforty  pair  of  stockings,  Eighty  Hatchetts,  two  half 
Anchors  of  powder,  one  hundred  knives,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
barres  of  lead,  sixty  pounds  of  shott,  one  Anchor  of  Ruinme,  Two  Bar- 
rels of  Beere,  Three  pounds  of  Readlead,  Three  hundred  pipes,  Three 
hundred  needles,  and  Three  Anchors  of  tobacco,  by  Adlord  Bowde  now 
of  Burlington,  mrchant  and  within  ye  Province  of  West  Jersey  afores11 
at  and  before  the  sealing  and  delivery  hereof  for  and  on  the  behalfe  of 
Daniell  Coxe,  Esqr  Govrnor  of  the  said  Province  to  them  the  said  Indian 
Sachimachers  and  owners  in  hand  paid  whereof  and  wherewith  they  doe 
hereby  acknowledge  themselves  fully  contented  &  satisfy'd.  Have 
granted  bargained  and  sold,  alyened,  enfeoffed  and  confirmed,  and  by 
these  presents  do  fully  clearly  and  absolutely  grant,  bargain  and  sell, 
aleyn,  enfeoffe  and  confirm  unto  the  said  Adlord  Bowde,  for  and  to  the 


8 

only  proper  use  &  behoofe  of  the  said  Daniel  Coxe  and  his  Heirs  &  As- 
signs forever,  All  that  and  those  tract  and  tracts  of  land  beginning  at  a 
white  oak  markt  on  fouer  sides  being  on  the  South  South  west  side  of 
Shabbicunck  Creek  by  the  roadside  leading  to  New  York  three  miles 
from  the  Delaware  River  or  three  miles  from  Hugh  Stannylands,  from 
thence  running  north  by  the  land  of  Thomas  Budd  to  a  white  poplar 
and  a  Beeche  tree  upon  the  head  of  Shabbicuncke  creek  on  fouer  sides 
and  from  thence  to  a  small  hickery  standing  by  a  black  oak  markt  by 
the  line  of  Thomas  Budd  aforesaid,  from  thence  to  a  gumme  tree  stand- 
ing by  the  side  of  Stony  Brook  by  a  lyne  tree,  from  thence  along  the 
line  of  Thomas  Budd  aforesaid  to  a  line  of  markt  trees  running  west 
north  west  to  one  white  and  one  black  oake  marked  on  fouer  sides  a  little 
above  Menapenasson,  and  from  thence  by  a  direct  line  west  and  by 
north  to  the  mouth  of  a  creek  called  Laocoton  running  into  Dellaware 
River  about  Atecokin's  wigwam,  and  soe  to  run  down  the  side  of  Delia- 
ware  river  to  a  line  of  markt  trees  lying  two  miles  above  the  ffalls  mill, 
and  from  thence  running  East  to  the  white  oake  on  the  south  west  side 
of  Shabbacunke  Creeke  aforesaid.  And  also  all  and  every  the  mines 
mineralls  woods  ffishings  hawkings  huntings  and  fowlings.  And  all  & 
every  the  Rivers,  Rivuletts,  Creekes,  Isles,  Islands,  Lakes,  Ponds, 
Marshes,  Swamps,  Meadows,  ffeedings,  Pasturings,  profitts,  commodities 
&  appurtenances  whatsoever  to  the  said  granted  tracts  of  land  or  any 
part  thereof  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining.  And  also  all  the 
estate,  Right,  tytle,  Interest  possession,  pperty,  claim  and  demand  what- 
soever of  them  the  said  Indian  Sachimachers  &  owners  or  any  of  them  in 
Lawe  &  Equity  &  either  of  them  of  in  or  into  the  said  granted  prmises 
or  any  pte  or  psel  thereof,  and  the  reversion  &  reversions,  Remaindr  and 
Remaind"  of  the  same  and  every  pte  thereof.  To  have  &  to  hold  to  the 
said  Adlord  Bowde  his  Heirs  &  Assigns  forever. 

And  the  said  Indian  Sachimachers  and  owners  doe  for  themselves  and 
every  of  them  &  for  their  and  every  of  their  Heires  &  successors,  cove- 
nant promise  and  agree  to  and  with  the  said  Adlord  Bowde  his  heirs  & 
Assignes  by  these  presents.  That  it  shall  &  may  be  lawful  to  and  for  the 
said  Daniel  Cose  his  heirs  &  Assigns  forever  hereafter  peaceably  & 
quietly  to  have  hold  and  enjoy  the  said  granted  &  bargained  tracts  of 
land  &  every  pte  &  peel  thereof  to  &  for  the  uses  aforesaid  without  any 
lawfull  lett  molestation  or  disturbance  of  them  the  said  Indian  Sachi- 
machers &  owners  or  any  of  them  or  of  their  Heirs  or  successors  or  of 
from  or  by  any  other  prsonor  prsons  whatsoever  clayming  or  which  shall 
or  may  clayme  any  estate  Right,  title,  Interest,  Inheritance  or  pperty  of 
in  or  out  of  the  said  granted  &  bargained  premises  or  any  pte  or  pcell 
thereof  by  from  or  under  them  or  any  of  them  or  by  or  through  their 
or  any  of  their  nieanes,  assent  consent  tytle,  privity  pcurement. 

In  witness  whereof  the  said  Indian  Sachimachers  and  owners  have 


9 

ereunto  sett  their  hands  &  affixed  their  seals  (according  to  the  English 
Ano1.),  the  Thirtieth  day  of  the  month  called  March  in  the  year  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  eighty  eight  Annoque  R.  R.  Jacobi  Sedi  Ang'  & 
Quarter. 

Signed,  Sealed  &  delivered  Hoham, 

in  ye  prsence  of  Teplaopamun, 

Thomas  Budd,  Meroppe, 

Henry  Greenland,  Weweenoling, 

Thomas  Bowman,  Lummusecon, 

WlLLm  BlDDLE,  JuNr,  PlEEZE, 

John  Wills,  Interpreter.  Meheekissue, 

copenakoniskou, 

Nehuoing, 

Neheekan, 

Shawsuna. 

The  territory  originally  embraced  in  Hopewell  was 
diminished  on  the  south  by  the  order  of  the  court,  of 
which  there  is  the  following  record  : 

March  2nd,  1719-20.  Ordered  by  the  Court  that  the  bounds  of  Tren- 
ton be  entered  upon  the  record  as  followeth,  ordered  accordingly.  Begin- 
ning at  the  landing  on  Delaware  river  in  Nottingham,  running  up  sd 
river  to  the  mouth  of  Jacob's  creek,  thence  along  said  creek  to  a  run 
called  Jacob's  run,  thence  up  sd  run  to  Thatcher's  swamp,  along  a  run 
that  runs  into  Shabbakunk  including  Ralph  Hart's  plantation  to  the  line 
that  divides  Hopewell  from  Maidenhead,  Thence  along  sd  line  until  it 
comes  to  the  sd  line  of  Mr.  Trents  and  Tho"  Lamberts  land,  thence  along 
sd  line  between  Mr.  Trents  and  Thomas  Lamberts  to  Delaware  River 
and  so  along  sd  river  to  the  first  mentioned  station. 

By  Act  of  Provincial  Assembly,  Jan.  21,  1709-10, 
Burlington  county  included  Maidenhead,  Hopewell  and 
Amwell.  Hunterdon  county  was  set-off  by  Act  of 
March  15, 1713-14,  making  the  Assunpink  the  southern 
boundary,  including  what  are  now  Trenton,  Ewing, 
Lawrence  and  Hopewell  in  Mercer,  with  Morris,  Sussex, 
Warren  and  Hunterdon  counties. 


10 


We  learn  from  public  records  that  the  following  tracts 
of  land  were  taken  under  the  title  of  the  West  Jersey 
Society,  Thomas  Revell,  Agent : 


Feb.  20,  1693-4. 
June  15,  1696. 
May  24,  1696. 


July  last  1697. 


Ap.  1697. 


John  Lee  250  of  the  30,000  acres, 
John  Smith  500  of       Do. 
Edward  Hunt  122*       Do. 

"  ''        97i  in  Maidenhead, 

within  the  branches  of  the  Shabbakunk. 
Col.  Wm  Hallet  of  the  30,000  acres  1000  acres 
Joseph  Sacket  300  acres  Do.  near  Samuel  Hunts. 
Roger  Parke     400     "       Do.  April  1697  at 

Wissamenson,  north  side  of  Stony  Brook. 
Anne  Parke  100  acres  adjoining. 
Andrew  Smith  for  his  son  Thos".  Smith 

100  acres  above  Roger  Parkes. 
Andrew  Smith  200     "      more  for  his  son  Tho8.  Smith   Ap.  1697. 
John  Parke  300  acres  near  Tho8.  Twiggse  Feb.  27,  1696. 

John  Rue     200     "  Feb.  17,  1699. 

Johannes  Lawrenson  1050  acres  July  12,  1697. 

Edward  Burrowes  200  acres  Nov.  7,  1699. 

Andrew  Smith. 200  acres  May  20,  1688. 

in  which  Deed  the  tract  is  called  Hopewell. 

That  these,  except  the  last  named,  and  others  with 
them,  were  bought  under  a  title  that  did  not  prove  valid, 
appears  from  the  following  document  and  the  events 
which  succeeded  its  being  signed  : 

Whereas  the  subscribers  whose  names  are  hereunto  affixed  having 
■purchased  several  considerable  Tracts  of  land  of  one  Thomas  Revell  an 
Agent  of  ye  honourable  Societie  of  West  Jersey  (and  other  the  residen- 
tors  therein)  being  part  of  the  tract  known  by  ye  name  of  ye  Thirty 
Thousand  above  ye  falls  of  Delaware  Lying  in  ye  Township  of  Hopewell, 
county  of  Hunterdon  and  Western  Division  of  New  Jersey  and  of  him 
received  such  conveyance  as  by  virtue  of  the  Commission  of  Agency  in 
the  behalf  of  ye  Honourable  Society  are  Deemed  and  esteemed  in  law 
Effectual  till  a  more  fezable  title  can  be  made  appear  and  whereas  there 
is  now  claim  laid  to  our  severall  Tracts  aforesaid  by  Colonel  Cox  under 
a  pretence  of  being  Chief  Proprietor  thereof  whose  right  to  us  has  not 
been  made  appear,  Therefore  not  thinking  ourselves  not  ye  least  obliga- 
ted to  surrender  up  our  respective  lands  to  the  use  of  said  Cox  till  more 
.legall  proprietorship  can  be  made  apparently  by  him  appear  we  think 


11 


it  requesit  on  such  a  claim  to  stand  a  Tryal  as  ye  law  Tantely  shall 
Direct.  In  order  to  which  proceeding  ye  sd  Cox  by  his  attory  has 
Ejected  several  of  us  from  our  prmises  obliging  us  to  an  Issue  and  we 
subscribers  thinking  it  a  hardship  to  carry  on  this  Suit  by  one  prticular 
person  wherein  so  many  is  concerned  we  draw  this  instrument  obliging 
each  of  us  the  subscribers  our  heirs  Executors  and  administrators  to  ye 
each  other  in  ye  penal  sum  of  fif  Ten  pounds  curr'  money  of  this  province 
to  be  paid  by  the  defauter  if  he  stand  not  to  and  abide  by  evry  of  ye 
clauses  abovesaid  and  well  and  truly  perform  this  Covenant,  That  is  to 
say  Each  of  the  Subscribers  oblige  themselves  to  each  other  in  the  pen- 
alty exprest  equivalent  to  the  land  ye  possess  [he  possesses]  to  emburse 
so  much  money  towards  ye  carrying  of  this  suit  as  the  whole  complement 
shall  be  found  sufficient  to  defray  the  contingent  charge  of  Trying  this 
Title.  In  Testimony  whereof  we  have  hereunto  set  the  hand  this  twenty 
Second  of  Aprill  annogre  Dominy  1731, 


Isaac  Herrin, 
Nathaniel  Moore, 
Joseph  Stout, 
Thomas  "Winder, 
Thomas  Houghton, 
John  Parke, 
Tho.  Curtis, 
John  Hixon, 
Jno.  Parke  Junr, 

his 

Jno.     I     Hendrickson, 

mark  ' 

Henry  Oxley, 
Ralph  Hunt, 
William  Crickfeld, 
John  Titus, 
Roger  Parke  Junr, 
Benj.  Drake, 
Robert  Blackwell, 
Jonathan  Furman, 
John  Hunt, 
John  Everitt, 


Tiios. 


T    Evans, 

mark  ' 


Thos.  Smith, 
Ephraim  Titus, 

bis 

Reed, 


John       I 

mark 


David  Laroe, 
Jno.  Ffield, 
John  Fidler, 
Bartholom.  Anderson, 
Thomas  Reed, 
Jno.  Blew, 
George  Woolsev, 
Jonathan  Stout, 
Joseph  Price, 
William  Cornell, 
Richard  Smith, 
James  Melvin, 
Joseph  Houghton, 
Ralph  Smith, 
Elnathan  Baldwin, 
Daniel  Gano, 
Jose.   Parke, 
Francis  Gano, 
John  Houghton, 
John  Merrill, 
Roger  Parke, 
Andrew  Parke, 
Jacob  Knowles, 
Nehemiah  Bonham, 
Benj.  Merell, 
Andrew  Mershon. 


These  cases  of  ejectment  were  all  removed  by  a  rule 


12 

of  the  Supreme  Court  from  the  county  of  Hunterdon  to 
the  county  of  Burlington,  because  of  the  alleged  preju- 
dice in  favor  of  the  defendants  in  Hunterdon.  A  jury 
of  twelve  Quakers  (with  the  Hon.  Robert  Lettice 
Hooper,  Chief  Justice)  tried  the  case,  and  gave  their 
verdict  for  the  plaintiff.  Murray  was  the  attorney  for 
Colonel  Coxe,  and  Kinsey  the  attorney  for  the  several 
defendants.  One  of  the  latter,  George  Woolsey,  carried 
the  case  (as  a  test  case)  to  the  Court  of  Errors;  but  it 
was  of  no  avail. 

The  records  of  the  Supreme  Court,  with  the  several 
judgments  engrossed  on  parchment  rolls,  are  among  the 
archives  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey,  and  fur- 
nish a  true  history  of  this  formidable  trial,  which  was 
the  great  event  of  that  period  to  the  early  settlers  of 
this  township,  and  kept  the  minds  of  the  people  in  a 
state  of  agitation  and  distressing  embarrassment.  But 
the  majority  of  them  remained  on  the  farms  which  they 
had  originally  settled,  and  in  part  improved;  and  some 
of  these  lands  are  to-day  in  possession  of  the  lineal  de- 
scendants. 

Previous  to  these  ejectment  suits,  and  shortly  after 
the  settling  of  the  boundary  between  Trenton  and  Hope- 
well, and  when  Hunterdon  county  embraced  the  five 
townships  of  Hanover,  Am  well,  Maidenhead,  Trenton 
and  Hopewell,  in  1722,  we  have  a  roll  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty-eight  men  subject  to  taxation,  sixteen  of 
whom  were  single  men.  There  were,  besides,  eleven 
slaves,  seven  hundred  and  eighty-five  cattle  and  horses, 
and  four  hundred  and  eighty-seven  sheep.  There  were 
two  mills,  that  owned  by  Philip  Ringo,  now  Moore's 
mill,  and  the  other  owned  by  Cornelius  Anderson,  in 
the  south-western  corner  of  Hopewell. 


13 


The  number  of  acres  of  land  then  in  possession  was 
sixteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  ninety-five.  The 
tax-list  is  as  follows  : 


Names. 

Single 
Men. 

Mills. 

Cattle 

and 

Horses. 

9 
16 
3 
3 
3 
4 
13 
2 

8 
6 

10 
3 
6 
6 
7 
8 
5 

10 
7 
6 
4 

Sheep. 

Servants 

or 
Slaves. 

Land. 

2 
15 

50 

200 

50 

130 

Joshaway  Ward 
Eldad  Davis 

100 

John  Feald 

12 
o 

6 

4 

10 

200 

50 

50 

Peter  Laru 

50 

200 

500 

600 

Ely  Allbado 

2 

200 

150 

Frances  Fonnoy 
Robert  Shaw 

150 

1 

140 

Timothy  Titus 

200 

40 

William  Reede 

1 
1 

Joseph  Huff 

6 

7 
4 

200 

Robert  Maclelean 

100 

100 

Roger  Woolverton 

1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

Andrew  Millburne 

Jonathan  Stieklin  Senor 

Henery  Heldren 

John  Murched 

16 
4 
1 

16 
4 

25 

1 

200 

40 

Ezekel  Oleno 

Nathaniel  Moore 

25 

300 

Charles  Huff 

100 

Jonathan  Stickler  Jr 

1 

1 

Joseph  Hart 
John  Smith 

12 

20 
5 
4 

17 
6 
7 

10 
4 

1 

166 

William  Mcrrel  Juner 

7 

130 

Hezekiah  Bonham  Jr 

150 

Philip  Ringo 
Benjamin  Drack 
Joshua  Andrus  June 

1 

50 

260 

Frederick  Debough 

Aran  funhuck 

200 

Tunus  Huff 

50 

14 


Names. 

Single 
Men. 

Mills. 

Cattle 

and 

Horses. 

Sheep. 

Servants 
or 

Slaves. 

Lands. 

5 
1 
2 

9 

7 
6 

110 

Danel  Deno 

50 

Samuel  Runyoun 
Jemse  Hide 

50 

200 

Danel  Geano 

100 

Steven  Geano 

50 

Joseph  Combs 

1 

William  Merel  Sener 

24 
5 

2 

4 
3 

12 
1 
3 

13 

16 
5 

14 
3 
5 

15 
2 

16 

4 

15 

16 

20 

2 

300 

Benjamin  Merel 
Nehemiah  Bonham 

150 

Jabes  Jarvis 

100 

Joseph  Davis 
Auanies  Olen 

•  8 

350 

Edward  Butler 

Barth  Corvine 

100 

Johannes  Hendrikx 

10 

149 

Samuel  Fitch 

200 

John  Everit 

6 

100 

John  Framton 

100 

Samuel  Furman  Jr 

50 

Jonathan  Furman 

4 
16 

50 

Thomas  Runyon 
Yiencien  Runyon 
Rotter  Parke  Jr 

150 

16 

9 

20 

4 

200 

Rosier  Parke  Sener 

John  Park 

300 

John  Reede 

240 

John  Sharp 
William  Whited 

1 
1 

Joseph  Longlee 
Samuel  Furman  Sener 

3 
10 

5 
10 
10 

2 

28 
1 

60 

6 

100 

John  Capender 
Joshua  Ely 
Richard  Smith 

90 

200 

100 

Joses  Lombard 

Joseph  Stout 
Hezekiah  Bonel 

18 

230 

10 

Isaak  Asstoll 

1 

Thomas  Combs 

10 
10 

5 
15 

6 

8 
11 

9 

140 

David  Stout 

1 
8 

14 
6 

250 

Thomas  Evans 

100 

Thomas  Curtes 

150 

William  Brient  sener 

100 

Robard  Blackwel 

250 

Enoch  ArmitaKe 

4 
6 
6 
6 

250 

Ralph  Hunt 
Thomas  Huf 

300 

Henere  Hendrix 

100 

Jeremiah  Hendrix 

1 
1 

Peter  Hendrix 

Addom  Bratten 

3 

9 

10 

50 

William  Larason 

11 

22 

4 

160 

John  Titus 

200 

Efrom  Titus 

100 

15 


Names. 

Single 
Men. 

Mills. 

Cattle 

and 

Horses. 

Sheep. 

Servants 

or 
Slaves. 

Lands. 

Ralph  Hunt  stone  brock 
John  Hunt  yoreng 
Elisha  Bord 
Elnathan  Boulder 
Thomas  Reede 
John  Hart 

7 
2 
5 

18 
8 

10 

9 

13 

4 

9 

9 

1 

20 

1 

4 

4 

25 

14 

12 

15 

5 

13 

17 

9 

7 

2 

5 

100 

100 

40 

20 

100 

200 

6 
10 

11 

200 

200 

200 

50 

7 

260 

Thomas  Merel 

100 

50 

30 

1 

200 

100 

3 

Calap  Carman 

90 

15 

1 

500 

100 

5 
7 
1 
28 
3 
4 

200 

Henery  Oxly 
William  Huff 

200 

500 

300 

Cornelus  Andrus  sun 

1 

134 

100 

Joseph  Reeder 
William  Miller 

200 

120 

Joseph  Reed  sener 

13 

80 

1 

Joseph  Reede  Jr 

4 
9 
3 
5 
1 
3 
11 
13 

60 

1 

500 

David  Price 

William  Lin 

200 

Joseph  Nasbet 

Nicolas  Roberds 

Jorge  Wolse 

200 

Thomas  Burrus 

1 

18 

297 

Note. — In  1726  Hunterdon  county  had 
Males  above  16, 
Females  "      " 
Males  under  " 
Females 


Total 


3236 


This  is  perhaps  the  best  place  to  insert  "  A  Duplicate 
for  the  Township  of  Hopewell,  June  26,  1753." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  assessors  of  the  county  of  Hunterdon  at  the  house 
of  Philip  Ringo  in  Amwell  on  the  12th  day  of  June  1753  pursuant  to  an 


16 


order  from  the  Justices  and  freeholders  of  sd  county  to  divide  the  Quota 
for  raising  the  sum  of  One  Hundred  and  Thirty  Pounds  for  repairing 
the  Gaol  and  Court  House  and  killing  wolves  and  panthers  &c.  The 
Quota  of  each  Township  is  as  follows  viz 

£.      s.      d. 

Kingwood 12     13       0 

Bethlehem 15       5     11 

Reading 18       4       5 

Lebanon 21       6       8 

Amwell 34      5       2 

Hopewell 16     12       5 

Maidenhead 6     16        8 

Trenton 4     15       9 

Jos.  Deacon,  Geo.  Reading, 

Cornelius  Lare,  Charles  Hoff, 

Wm.  Bay,  Wm.  Bates, 

John  Vancleve,  Azariah  Hunt, 

Assessors. 

s.     d.  s.    d. 

Andrew  Smith  Esq                    5      0     Cornelius  Polhemus  2     4 

Andrew  Smith  Junr                  3      7     Cornelius  Anderson  3      4 

Andrew  Mershon                      2      1     Charles  Hoff  3      2 

Andrew  Foster                           1    10     Charles  Sexton  2     4 

Abraham  Laroe                         1    10     Cornelius  Ringo  Eqr  1      7 

Andrew  Muirhead                     2      6     Cornelius  Wiliamson  9 

Adam  Ague                                1      5     Daniel  Cox  8      2 

Andrew  Titus                             1      6     Daniel  Hart  3      5 

Abraham  Anderson                   1    10     Daniel  Genoe  4      2 

Azariah  Hunt                             1      9     David  Stout  5      3 

Andrew  Yannoy                        1      0     David  Stout  Sen  7      0 

Abraham  Moor                          1      7     David  Price  1    10 

Andrew  Morgan                        3      3     Daniel  Biles  6 

Benj'B  Cornwall                         2      9     Edward  Burrows  2      1 

Benj'n  Pelton                              4      2     Edward  Hunt  R  S  2      6 

John  Soverns                             1      0     Edward  Hunt  2     7 

Benj,D  Anderson                        2     0     Edmund  Palmer  1    10 

Benj'n  Ketchum                         0      5     Elnathan  Baldwin  11 

Benj,n  Temple                           4      8     Eliakim  Anderson  1 

Benj'n  Stout  Senr                       5    10     Edmund  Herin  1      8 

Benj'n  Stout  Junr                       1       i     Ephraim  Titus  2      2 

Benjn  Merril                               1      5     Elnathan  Moore  11 

Benjn  Drake                               2    11     Edward  Cooper  4 

Barnet  Christopher                   2      0     Ephraim  Merril  4 


17 


s. 

d. 

s. 

d. 

Everitt  Oxley 

3 

Josiah  Furman 

1 

1 

Ephraim  Runyon 

9 

Jonathan  Furman 

0 

7 

Francis  Blackwell 

2 

Joseph  Hart 

3 

Francis  Vannoy 

3 

3 

Joseph  Golden  Sen 

4 

5 

George  Woolsey 

3 

James  Adams 

1 

11 

Gerrit  Johnson 

4 

7 

Joseph  Stout 

4 

4 

Henry  Woolsey 

6 

Joshua  Bunn 

1 

10 

Henry  Ringo 

9 

James  Larason 

2 

1 

Henry  Oxley 

2 

7 

James  Hunt 

1 

9 

Henry  Vankirk 

3 

10 

Jacob  Ketcham 

1 

Hugh  Howell 

1 

9 

James  Matthews 

1 

4 

Henry  Pinkerton 

11 

Joseph  Stout  Col 

6 

5 

John  Bord 

6 

James  Larue 

2 

5 

John  Peter  Kempall 

7 

Josiah  Hart 

1 

10 

John  Davis 

1 

5 

James  Fitch 

1 

John  Porter 

1 

4 

Jonathan  Gray 

1 

5 

John  Ronze  Senr 

1 

9 

Joseph  Gray 

1 

6 

John  Fider  Sen 

2 

7 

Jeremiah  Smith 

2 

8 

John  Phillips  Esq1 

4 

9 

Joseph  Moore  Sen 

4 

10 

John  Bainbridge 

3 

6 

Joseph  Severns 

3 

10 

John  Cornwall 

1 

5 

Joseph  Burrows 

2 

7 

John  Carpenter 

1 

6 

Joseph  Disborough 

1 

John  Hart  Jn*  son 

2 

9 

Jacob  Blackwell 

3 

9 

John  Moor  G8  son 

1 

8 

Isaac  Herin  Esqr 

3 

3 

John  Welling 

5 

3 

Joseph  Titus 

1 

4 

John  Ketcham 

1 

1 

Joseph  Vankirk 

1 

8 

John  Hart  Edwards  son 

5 

Isaac  Anderson 

1 

2 

John  Skidmore 

1 

4 

Joseph  Baldwin 

1 

11 

Joseph  Brown 

5 

Jacob  Stout 

1 

4 

John  Titus  Jr 

2 

2 

Josiah  Golden  Jr 

4 

John  Lambert 

2 

3 

Moses  Baldwin 

1 

4 

John  Moor  Nathans  son 

3 

Matthew  Hixon 

2 

2 

John  Titus  Sen 

3 

4 

Mathias  Baker 

1 

11 

John  Roberts 

1 

Mary  Burt 

1 

11 

John  Houghton 

1 

10 

Nathaniel  Moore 

6 

4 

John  Ballard 

5 

Nathan  Moore 

1 

9 

John  Anderson 

4 

Noah  Hunt 

2 

6 

Joseph  Moore  Jr 

1 

11 

Nathan  Hunt 

1 

4 

Joseph  Bonham 

1 

1 

Philip  Titus 

2 

2 

Josiah  Howell 

1 

2 

Peter  Parn 

1 

Joseph  Price 

2 

5 

Peter  Covenhoven 

2 

8 

Jonathan  Smith 

3 

5 

Philip  Palmer 

1 

6 

Joseph  Parke 
2 

3 

Philip  Roberts 

7 

18 


s. 

d. 

s. 

d. 

Philip  Rodgers 

1 

7 

Stephen  Barton 

4 

Ralph  Hart 

2 

11 

Sam1  Fitch 

4 

Reuben  Armitage 

4 

11 

Timothy  Smith 

4 

Ralph  Hunt 

2 

10 

Thomas  Burrows  Jun 

1 

11 

Richard  Hart 

2 

5 

Thomas  Hoff 

4 

6 

Robert  Akers 

2 

5 

Timothy  Brush 

1 

9 

Richard  Iloff 

1 

9 

Timothy  Titus 

2 

9 

Richard  Roberts 

1 

7 

Tho8  Cain 

8 

Return  Temple 

8 

Tho3  Drake 

1 

11 

Richard  Phillips 

3 

Thos  Blackwell 

2 

5 

Robert  Lansing 

2 

6 

Titus  Hixon 

4 

Richard  Evins 

2 

8 

Valentine  Bryant 

3 

10 

Richard  Stillwell 

4 

Vincent  Runyon 

1 

1 

Sam1  Stout  Esq1 

7 

7 

Wilson  Hunt 

10 

9 

Seth  Field 

2 

6 

Wm  Bryant 

2 

9 

Sam1  Furman 

1 

4 

Wm  Merrill  cooper 

11 

Sam1  Hunt 

5 

5 

Wm  Parke 

1 

7 

Sam1  Tucker 

1 

2 

Wm  Reed 

1 

5 

Sarah  Temple 

1 

4 

Wm  Cornwall 

1 

5 

Sacket  Moore 

3 

4 

Wm  Newton 

4 

Sam1  Moore 

2 

2 

Wm  Waters 

2 

4 

Stephen  Burrowes 

2 

11 

Wm  Runals 

5 

Sam1  Ketcham 

1 

7 

Wm  Merrill 

4 

Smith  Cornwall 

1 

8 

Zebulon  Stout 

2 

6 

Stephen  Biles 

6 

Zedekiah  Pettitt 

2 

2 

Sam1  Morris 

4 

AZARIAH 

Hunt, 
Assessor 

We  here  introduce  brief  memoranda  of  some  of  the 
original  settlers,  beginning  with 

Enoch  Armitage,  a  model  ruling  elder  of  the  olden 
time,  who  deserves  some  notice  in  the  annals  of  Ameri- 
can Presbyterianism. 

A  record  made  by  himself  informs  us  that  he  was  a 
son  of  John  Armitage,  and  born  November  27,  1677, 
at  Ligeate,  in  Kirk  Burton  Parish,  in  the  West  Riding 
of  Yorkshire,  England.  His  wife,  Martha,  died  in  Eng- 
land, August  4,  1713.    His  children,  Mary,  John,  Reu- 


19 

ben  and  Lydia,  were  born  in  England,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  John,  are  known  to  have  settled  with  their 
father  in  this  country.  Mr.  Armitage  set  sail  from 
Liverpool  March  14,  1719,  arrived  at  New  York  May 
30,  and  soon  took  up  his  permanent  residence  on  a  farm 
a  mile  northeast  from  Pennington,  in  Hopewell  Town- 
ship, New  Jersey.  His  property  has  been  owned  and 
most  of  the  time  occupied  by  successive  generations  of 
the  family.  In  about  eighteen  months  after  his  arrival 
he  was  chosen  clerk  of  the  township,  and  probably 
about  the  same  time  was  appointed  an  elder  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church ;  for  in  the  latter  capacity  he  was 
present  with  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Moses  Dickinson,  at 
the  sessions  of  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  in  1722,  '24 
and  '25.  His  name  is  found  in  the  minutes  of  the 
mother  presbytery,  and  occurs  last  in  the  Synodical 
Records  of  1737. 

In  the  conflict  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  this 
country,  which  issued  in  the  schism  of  1741,  Mr.  Armi- 
tage, Thomas  Burrowes  (ancestor  of  the  Rev.  George 
Burrowes,  D.D.),  Edward  Hart,  (father  of  John  Hart, 
a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  1776)  and 
Timothy  Baker  were  prominent  supporters  of  the  Old 
Side  in  the  congregation  with  which  they  were  con- 
nected. 

The  erection  of  the  first  church  edifice  in  Pennington 
is  to  be  ascribed  in  part  to  the  zeal  and  liberality  of 
Mr.  Armitage,  for  credible  tradition  reports  that  he 
gave  all  the  timber,  besides  work  done  gratuitously  in 
the  line  of  his  trade,  he  being  a  blacksmith.  His  old 
Bible,  printed  in  1G7L,  which  was  the  companion  of  his 
daily  meditations,  is  an  instructive  relic.  Well  pre- 
served, though  much  worn  by  use,  it  reminds  of  that 


20 

plain  but  godly  woman  who  said,  "  I  read  the  Old 
Testament  in  the  morning,  and  I  read  the  New  Testa- 
ment in  the  evening;  but  the  Psalms — /  Jceep  them 
a  going  all  the  timer 

One  of  the  most  interesting  memorials  which  this 
worthy  man  has  left  behind  him  is  an  original  address 
delivered  by  him  to  the  people,  after  their  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Moses  Dickinson,  had  left  them  to  be  settled  in 
Norwalk,  Connecticut.  It  is  entitled,  "Some  Medita- 
tions upon  the  15th,  16th  and  17th  verses  of  the 
Twenty-Seventh  Chapter  of  Numbers,  occasioned  by 
the  removal  of  Mr.  Dickinson,  and  delivered  at  Hope- 
well Meeting  House  by  E.  A.,  1727." 

He  commences  thus: — "Beloved  friends,  having  no 
book,  suitable  to  the  outward  circumstances  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  being  something  more  than  ordinary 
affected  with  our  present  desolate  condition,  and  being 
encouraged  by  your  kind  acceptance  of  what  I  have 
been  enabled  to  do  in  your  service  since  Divine  Provi- 
dence cast  my  lot  amongst  you,  I  proceed  to  deliver 
my  meditations  on  these  verses,  especially  the  last 
clause  of  the  seventeenth  verse,  'that  the  congregation 
of  the  Lord  be  not  as  sheep  that  have  no  shepherd.' " 
This,  it  would  appear,  was  not  the  first  time  he  had 
served  them  in  the  absence  of  a  preacher.  His  manner 
of  treating  the  subject  proves '  him  to  have  been  an 
attentive  hearer  of  sermons,  a  close  observer,  a  clear 
thinker,  sound  in  doctrine,  fearless  in  duty,  "mighty  in 
the  Scriptures,"  and  possessed  of  an  admirable  Christian 
spirit.  The  address  must  have  occupied  more  than  an 
hour  in  the  delivery.  It  contains  judicious  and  weighty 
suggestions  that  might  be  profitable  to  the  under-shep- 
herds  as  well  as  to  the  sheep  of  the  Lord's  flock.     We 


21 

quote  the  following  passages  :  "  I  think — though  I  find 
no  Scripture  to  back  my  opinion — yet,  considering  the 
many  opinions  and  parties  among  Christians — that  it  is 
necessary  that  he  [a  pastor]  have  a  competent  knowl- 
edge of  the  original  languages  from  which  the  Scrip- 
tures were  translated.  Thereby  he  will  be  better  able 
to  defend  against  the  errors  and  heresies ;  otherwise  he 
must  always  take  the  sense  of  Scripture  from  others ; 
and  wherein  they  differ,  he  may  be  at  a  loss  whose 
interpretations  to  follow.  But  yet  it  must  be  owned, 
that  sometimes  it  hath  pleased  God  in  these  latter  days 
to  call  men  to  his  work,  and  furnish  them  with  gifts 
and  graces,  and  blessed  their  labors  to  the  spiritual 
good  of  others,  though  they  only  know  their  native 
language."  His  practical  remarks  at  the  conclusion  are 
arranged  under  six  heads,  viz. :  "  It  is  the  duty  of 
those  that  are  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd :  1st.  To 
hearken  unto  the  voice  of  Christ,  the  chief  shepherd. 
2dly.  To  preserve  unity  and  concord  among  themselves, 
odly.  Pray  God  to  send  them  a  pastor  after  his  own 
heart.  4thly.  Seek  the  common  good.  5thly.  Watch 
against  enemies,  and  over  one  another.  6thly.  Observe 
the  motions  and  conduct  of  Divine  Providence."  What 
better  counsels  could  be  given  to  any  vacant  congre- 
gations ? 

In  regard  to  meetings  for  social  prayer,  he  says  : 
"As  far  as  I  can  learn,  it  hath  been  the  practice  of 
Christians  in  all  ages  to  meet  together  to  pray,  and 
what  can  be  the  reason  that  this  spiritual  exercise  is 
neglected  in  this  country  I  cannot  account  for.  I  am 
informed  it  is  practised  in  New  England,  and  I  have 
seen  an  excellent  discourse  in  print  that  was  preached 
to  a  company  of  young  men  that  met  together  to  pray 


22 

at  stated  times  in  Boston;  but  here  is  none  of  that 
exercise.  But  where  the  fault  of  it  lies,  the  Lord 
knows,  and  where  it  will  be  found  at  last,  there  it 
must  be  accounted  for.  I  am  well  assured  God's  people 
have  found  it  a  soul-refreshing,  grace-strengthening 
exercise ;  and  I  could  tell  you  of  some  remarkable 
instances  of  God's  gracious  answers  to  the  humble, 
serious,  understanding  and  affectionate  prayers  of  his 
people  at  such  times.  It  was  a  saying  of  Mr.  Docl, 
'What  we  win  by  prayer  we  shall  wear  with  comfort.' " 

Mr.  Armitage  died  on  Sabbath,  January  28,  1738-9, 
and  was  buried  on  the  following  Wednesday  in  the 
Presbyterian  churchyard  at  Pennington.  At  his  funeral 
the  Rev.  David  Cowell,  of  Trenton,  preached  a  sermon 
from  Luke  ii.  29 — "  Now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  de- 
part in  peace  according  to  thy  word."  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  discourse  a  high  tribute  is  paid  to  the  worth 
of  the  deceased,  the  larger  portion  of  which  is  here 
given  : 

"  The  words  of  our  text  Mr.  Armitage  adopted  as 
his  own,  and  desired  they  might  be  discoursed  upon  at 
his  funeral.  Those  most  acquainted  with  him  testified 
to  his  disposition  for  peace.  God  had  given  him  by 
nature  a  calm  and  quiet  spirit,  which  was  his  orna- 
ment and  glory.  He  was  not  subject  to  anger,  heats 
and  passions,  as  many  others  are,  and  this  happy 
natural  talent,  assisted  and  improved  by  a  religious 
principle  and  the  love  of  God,  was  so  bright  and 
shining  that  his  moderation  was  known  to  all  men  who 
had  the  happiness  of  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
him.  In  his  dealings  he  was  strictly  just  and  honest ; 
to  those  in  distress,  charitable  and  ready  to  help  and 
assist.     In  his  conversation  he  was  grave  without  mo- 


23 

roseness  and  pleasant  without  levity.  From  the  quick- 
ness of  his  wit  and  the  strength  and  clearness  of  his 
judgment,  he  was  ready  on  all  occasions  to  bring  out 
of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart  things  new  and  old. 
The  sum  of  his  religion  was  love  to  God  and  his 
neighbor,  without  being  rigid  and  contentious  for  things 
indifferent.  The  government  of  his  family  was  with 
the  greatest  economy  and  religious  order.  His  stated 
times  for  prayer,  both  private  and  secret,  his  times  for 
instructing  his  family,  for  taking  refreshment,  and  his 
times  for  following  the  works  of  his  calling,  followed 
one  another  so  constantly  by  turns,  and  in  the  revolu- 
tion of  such  certain  periods,  that  they  seldom  interfered, 
much  less  justled  out  each  other;  and  such  a  vein  of 
religion  ran  through  the  whole,  that  his  life  was  like 
the  life  of  Enoch,  whose  name  he  bore,  a  walking  with 
God.  If  we  consider  him  at  church,  we  shall  find  he 
was  constant  and  devout  in  attendance  upon  God's 
public  worship.  In  the  management  of  church  affairs, 
which  was  early  committed  to  him,  and  continued  to 
the  last,  he  deservedly  obtained  that  character  of  a 
good  steward  to  be  faithful ;  and  as  his  management 
was  the  product  of  religious  principles  and  a  sound 
judgment,  he  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  them  approved 
by  the  wisest  and  best  Christians.  Such  a  religious, 
honest  and  just  walk  in  his  own  house,  and  in  the 
house  of  God,  procured  for  him  the  esteem  of  persons 
of  all  persuasions  and  all  characters.  If  he  was  ma- 
ligned by  any  self-conceited  brethren,  who  run  their 
own  ways,  and  give  liking  unto  nothing  but  what  is 
framed  by  themselves  and  hammered  on  their  anvil,  as 
their  ignorance  was  the  cause,  so  that  only  can  plead 
their  excuse.     A  sovereign  God  gave  him  such  a  fidu- 


24 

cial  sight  of  Christ,  and  his  own  interest  in  him,  founded 
on  the  divine  promises,  that  he  adopted  the  words  of 
good  old  Simeon  for  his  own.  He  made  it  the  business 
of  his  life  to  follow  peace  with  all  men,  and  it  was  his 
grief  his  endeavors  succeeded  no  better.  He  desired 
to  die  in  peace,  and  to  have  a  hopeful  prospect  of  peace 
after  his  death.  With  respect  to  himself  his  prayer 
was  eminently-  answered.  When  he  passed  through 
the  valley  of  death,  God  was  with  him.  Death  gave 
one  friendly  stroke,  and  it  was  over — that  he  rather 
seemed  to  conquer  than  to  be  overcome." 

Of  the  numerous  descendants  of  Mr.  Armitage  may 
be  mentioned  the  Rev.  Enoch  Green,  who  died  at  Deer- 
field,  New  Jersey,  November  2,  1776,  while  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  ii\  that  place ;  the  late  Enoch 
Green,  an  elder  in  Easton  First  Church ;  Daniel  G. 
Howell,  once  an  elder  in  Pennington  Church ;  Charles 
H.  and  Henry  P.  Muirheid,  of  Philadelphia;  Dr.  W. 
W.  L.  Phillips,  of  Trenton;  Daniel  Christopher,  of 
Freehold ;  Lewis  J.  Titus,  an  elder  in  Lambertville 
Church ;  Enoch  A.  Titus,  an  elder  in  Pennington 
Church ;  Daniel  C.  Titus,  a  deacon  and  trustee  at 
Pennington;  Elizabeth  Moore,  widow  of  the  Rev. 
William  J.  Blythe,  and  her  brothers,  Imlah,  Charles, 
Ely  and  Thomas ;  and  we  ought  not  to  omit  his  own 
son,  Reuben  Armitage,  who  was,  until  his  death  in 
1783,  one  of  the  strong  pillars  of  the  church. 

Thomas  Burrowes,  son  of  Edward  Burrowes  of  Ja- 
maica, Long  Island,  is  not  named  as  an  elder ;  but  he 
took  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  church.  Mr. 
Guild  often  preached  at  his  house.  He  owned  the 
three  farms  now  occupied  by  his  descendant  Stephen 


25 

B.  Smith,  the  heirs  of  Aaron  H.  Burroughs,  and  the 
Messrs.  Craft,  land  bought  on  the  17th  of  November, 
1699.  He  had  five  sons,  Edward,  Thomas,  Stephen, 
Eden  and  John,  all  of  whom,  with  the  father,  signed 
the  call  for  the  Rev.  John  Guild's  pastoral  services, 
and  two  daughters,  Hannah,  and  Charity  the  wife  of 
Zebulon  Stout.  He  died  a  short  time  previous  to  De- 
cember 15,  1764. 

II.  Edward  married  Jane,  the  oldest  child  of  Sheriff 
John  Muirheid,  and  had  John,  Anthony,  Zebulon,  Ed- 
ward, Catharine  wife  of  Jesse  Atchley  and  ancestor 
of  all  the  Atchleys  in  this  township ;  Hannah  wife  of 
John  Moore ;  Rebekah  wife  of  Frances  Reed,  and  Jane. 

II.  John  settled  in  Amwell,  N.  J. 

II.  Thomas,  Jr.,  took  the  western  section  of  the  farm, 
and  had  Foster  (the  father  of  Nathaniel,  a  ruling  elder, 
and  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Stacy  G.  Potts  and  Rev.  George 
Burrowes,  D.D.) ;  Stephen  (saddler) ;  Rachel  wife  of 
Jonathan  Stout ;  Rebecca  and  Charity. 

II.  Stephen  took  the  homestead,  was  both  an  elder 
and  trustee ;  married  twice ;  his  children  by  the  first 
wife,  a  Miss  Moore,  were  Hannah  wife  of  Andrew  Titus 
(son  of  John)  ;  Mercy  wife  of  Henry  Mershon ;  and 
Eunice  wife  of  Ebenezer  Rose.  His  second  wife  was 
Sarah,  widow  of  Timothy  Temple  and  sister  of  John 
Hart,  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  and 
their  children  were  Major  Stephen  Burrowes,  who  was 
both  an  elder  and  trustee,  and  Sarah  wife  of  Andrew 
Reeder,  of  Lawrence. 

II.  Eden  married  and  had  two  sons,  Thomas  and  Eden. 

We  will  add  here  that  Major  Stephen  Burrowes  oc- 
cupied the  homestead,  married  Hannah,  sister  of  John 
Carpenter   (the  ruling   elder),   and  had    Harriet,  who 


26 

4 

became  the  wife  of  Ralph  H.  Smith  and  the  mother 
of  Stephen  B.  Smith. 

George  Woolset  also  came  from  Jamaica  about  the  year 
1700,  and  settled  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  leading 
from  "  Maidenhead  to  the  Delaware  River"  over  against 
Thomas  Burrowes.  His  grandfather,  George  Woolsey, 
came  to  Manhattan  Island,  1635,  and  lived  among  the 
Dutch,  and  removed  thence  to  Jamaica,  L.  I.,  1665, 
and  had  three  sons,  Captain  George,  Thomas,  and  John. 

It  was  George,  the  son  of  Captain  George,  who  settled 
in  Hopewell.  His  sons  were  Daniel,  Jeremiah,  Henry 
and  Joseph,  and  Jemima  wife  of  Ralph  Hart  and 
mother  of  Dr.  Noah  Hart,  and  of  his  sisters  Jerusha, 
Hannah  and  Elizabeth. 

II.  Daniel  had  a  son  Benjamin,  who  lived  in  Trenton, 
and  was  the  father  of  a  son  and  daughter,  Henry  and 
Nancy. 

II.  Henry,  son  of  George,  lived  in  Pennington,  south 
of  the  churchyard,  married  Martha  daughter  of  Ephraim 
Titus,  and  granddaughter  of  Enoch  Armitage,  and  had 
only  one  child,  Martha  wife  of  Philip  Vancleve  of 
Lawrence. 

II.  Joseph,  son  of  George,  married  a  Montgomery, 
and  removed  to  Maryland. 

II.  Jeremiah,  son  of  George,  married  Mary  daughter 
of  Joseph  Hart,  Dec.  15,  1753,  and  had  the  following 
children,  of  whom  it  is  of  record,  that  (each  and)  all 
were  baptized  in  infancy,  to  wit :  Hannah,  born  April 
27,  1755;  Ephraim,  born  March  6,  1757;  Mary  wife 
of  Louis  Perrine  of  Freehold,  born  July  27,  1759;  Je- 
mima, born  August  28,  1761 ;  Susannah,  born  Decem- 
ber 4,  1763,  and  Jeremiah,  born  June  16,  1769. 


27 

George  Woolsey 'swill  was  proved  March  11,1762,  and 
the  will  of  his  son  Jeremiah  was  proved  May  2,  1801 ; 
he  died  April  14,  1801.  Ephraim  succeeded  his  father 
Jeremiah  in  the  ownership  of  the  homestead ;  married 
Ann  Johnson  of  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  and  had  the  follow- 
ing children :  George,  the  present  owner  of  the  old 
homestead  ;  Ephraim,  father  of  Captain  Henry  Harrison 
Woolsey,  who  lost  his  life  before  Petersburgh,  Va.,  in 
the  late  war ;  Hannah  wife  of  Deacon  Andrew  Titus, 
and  mother  of  the  ruling  elder,  William  J.  Titus  ;  Mary 
wife  of  Philemon  Blackwell,  and  Eliza. 

Dr.  Jeremiah  Woolsey,  son  of  Jeremiah,  graduated  at 
the  College  of  New  Jersey,  1787,  married  a  Montgomery, 
practiced  medicine  at  Allentown,  N.  J.,  went  to  Cincin- 
nati in  1821,  and  died  February  10,  1834  ;  had  three 
daughters,  one  of  whom  was  named  Catharine,  and  two 
sons,  William  and  Daniel,  druggists  of  Evansville,  Ind. 

Captain  Henry  Harrison  Woolsey,  son  of  Ephraim 
Woolsey  and  Eleanor  Vancleve,  was  born  about  a  mile 
west  from  Pennington,  in  1836,  and  graduated  at  the 
College  of  New  Jersey,  1856.  He  had  commenced  the 
practice  of  the  law,  when  the  assault  on  Fort  Sumpter 
shook  the  nation,  and  young  Woolsey,  brave,  patriotic 
and  conscientious  as  he  was  lovely,  felt  that  he  must 
answer  the  call  to  arms.  After  having  distinguished 
himself  in  several  battles,  especially  that  of  Gettysburg, 
where  he  had  command  of  his  regiment,  he  fell  at  last, 
mortally  wounded  in  a  skirmish  before  Petersburg,  Va., 
June  18,  1864.  His  last  words  were,  "  Idiein  a  glorious 
cause,  and  feel  that  I  have  not  lived  in  vain  for  this  world  or 
the  tvorld  to  come"  He  was  buried  at  Pennington,  June 
24,  in  the  same  grave  with  his  wife,  who  had  died  just 
before  the  tidings  of  his  own  death  were  telegraphed. 


28 

Deacon  George  Woolsey  served  three  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislative  Council  of  New  Jersey.  He  is  a 
third  cousin  of  President  Theodore  D.  Woolsey  of  Yale 
College,  they  both  having  descended  from  Captain 
George  Woolsey. 

John  Carpenter  also  came  from  Jamaica,  L.  I.  His 
will  was  made  October  1, 1744,  and  admitted  to  probate 
April  2,  1745,  indicating  at  about  what  date  he  must 
have  died. 

He  married  Captain  Ralph  Hart's  daughter  Mary, 
sister  of  Ralph  and  Josiah,  and  had  sons,  Hezekiah  and 
John,  between  whom  the  farm  was  to  be  divided,  accord- 
ing to  the  will;  also  daughters,  Mary,  wife  of  John 
Hunt,  innkeeper  at  Pennington ;  Sarah  wife  of  Augus- 
tine Moore ;  Hannah  wife  of  Major  Stephen  Burrowes, 
and  mother  of  Mrs.  Harriet  Smith ;  and  Catharine,  wife 
of  Israel  Moore,  and  mother  of  Aaron  Moore,  of  Eliza- 
beth wife  of  Josiah  Hart,  and  of  Sarah  Moore.  John, 
the  son,  married  Ann,  sister  of  Col.  John  Vancleve,  and 
had  two  children,  John,  who  died  of  lockjaw  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  and  Elizabeth  wife  of  Peter  Beekman  of 
Raritan.  He  died  September  15,  1831,  at  an  advanced 
age,  having  been  for  many  years  a  highly-esteemed  citi- 
zen and  a  useful  ruling  elder  and  trustee  of  the  church. 

John  Muirheid  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
married  Rebekah  Bailey  of  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  No- 
vember 22,  1706,  and  settled  here  about  that  time  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Henry  B.  Perrine,  one  mile 
below  Pennington.  He  died  in  January,  1725,  and  the 
widow  died  December  25,  1759.  Both  are  buried  side 
by  side  in  the  Ewing  churchyard. 


29 

Their  children  were  (1)  Jane,  born  August  29, 1710, 
baptized  by  Mr.  Geo.  McNish;  (2d)  March  1st,  i711- 
12,  a  son  baptized  George  by  Mr.  Andrews ;  (3d)  a  son 
born  February  1713-14,  and  baptized  John  by  Mr. 
Robert  Orr;  (4th)  a  son  born  February  14,  1715-16, 
baptized  William  by  Mr.  Robert  Orr ;  (5th)  February 
11,  1717-18,  a  son  born  and  baptized  Andrew  by  Mr. 
Robert  Orr;  (6th)  December  25,  1719,  a  daughter  bap- 
tized Rebekah  by  Mr.  James  Muirhead;  (7th)  a 
daughter  baptized  Ruth,  born  May  4,  1723;  (8)  1725, 
a  daughter  baptized  Elizabeth.  It  is  an  interesting  fact 
that  all  of  these  eight  children  were  baptized  in  their  in- 
fancy. 

Mr.  Muirheid  was  the  first  High  Sheriff  of  the  county 
of  Hunterdon  after  it  was  set  off  from  Burlington,  March 
15,  1713-14.  The  first  gaol  of  the  county  was  built  of 
logs,  and  stood  not  far  from  Mr.  Muirheid's  dwelling. 
A  descendant  of  Mr.  Muirheid,  of  the  fifth  generation, 
bearing  his  name,  John,  was  not  long  since  the  sheriff 
of  Mercer  county,  which  is  mainly  taken  from  Hunter- 
don. With  the  exception  of  Jane,  wife  of  Edward  Bur- 
rowes,  and  who,  through  the  marriage  of  her  daughter 
Catharine  with  Jesse  Atchley,  became  the  ancestor  of  all 
the  Atchleys  of  this  region,  we  are  acquainted  with  none 
but  the  descendants  of  Andrew,  who  married  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Jonathan  Waters.  Their  children  were 
1.  John,  born  October  18,  1750;  2.  Deborah,  born 
March  20,  1753;  3.  Jonathan,  born  May' 7,  1755;  4. 
William,  born  October  18,  1757;  5.  Rebekah,  born  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1759;  6.  George,  born  June  25,  1760;  7. 
Andrew,  born  December  7,  1764,  who  married  Hannah, 
daughter  of  John  Stevenson. 

Jonathan,  the  son  of  Andrew,  married  Mary  Lott,  and 


30 

had  children  John,  Andrew,  William,  Elizabeth  wife  of 
William  Beakes,  Mary  wife  of  James  Disborough,  Ann 
wife  of  George  Schenck,  and  Rebecca  wife  of  George 
McDowell.  Jonathan  Muirheid,  died  Nov.  2,  1837, 
and  Mary,  his  wife,  died  July  30,  1817,  in  her  fifty- 
seventh  year. 

George  Muirheid  was  married  to  Charity,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  John  Guild,  by  the  Rev.  Joseph"  Rue,  June 
9,  1788,  and  their  children  were,  1st.  John  Guild,  who, 
by  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Howell,  had  eleven  children,  five 
only  of  whom,  Charles  H.,  John  Guild,  William  Harri- 
son and  two  daughters  survive.*  2nd.  Benjamin,  who 
by  his  wife,  Sarah  Howell,  had  children,  of  whom  two 
sons,  John  and  William  B.,  and  two  daughters  are  now 
living;  3d.  Deborah  wife  of  Jesse  M.  Howell,  and 
mother  of  several  daughters,  and  of  the  Rev.  Jesse  L. 
Howell.  4th.  William.  5th.  George.  6th.  Elizabeth 
wife  of  George  Woolsey  and  mother  of  a  son,  Theodore 
F.,  and  three  daughters  now  living. 

This  Muirheid  family  has  furnished  to  this  church 
two  ruling  elders  and  five  trustees,  and  to  the  Church  at 
large  one  minister  of  the  gospel.  In  each  generation, 
they  have  been  efficient  aids  in  upholding  the  interests 
of  the  congregation  in  both  temporal  and  spiritual 
things. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1745,  Andrew  Muirheid 
bought  of  Joseph  Furman  a  farm  near  Harbourtown, 
lately  conveyed  to  him  by  John  Titus,  Jr.,  and  that  has 
been  the  homestead  of  the  Muirheid  family  for  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  years. 

*  The  patriotic  devotion  of  Charity  wife  of  John  Ogden,  and  the  gal- 
lant conduct  of  General  Henry  P.  Muirheid,  of  the  regiment  of  Rush 
Lancers  in  the  late  war,  are  held  in  cherished  remembrance  by  the  people 
of  this  township. 


31 

Nathaniel  Moore  came  from  Newtown,  L.  I.,  and 
took  up  land  about  1708;  married  Joanna,  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  John  Prudden,  [first  pastor  at  Jamaica,  L.  I., 
and  then  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Newark, 
N.  J.,]  lived  where  his  lineal  descendant,  Mrs.  Hannah 
Moore  recently  died.  He  died  September  6,  1759,  in 
the  seventy-second  year  of  his  age.  His  children  were 
John,  Joseph,  Samuel,  Benjamin,  Abigail  wife  of  her 
cousin,  Sackett  Moore  and  Sarah  wife  of  Abraham 
Temple. 

II.  Captain  John  Moore  owned  the  farm  which  event- 
ually became  the  property  of  his  granddaughter  Rebecca, 
the  only  child  of  his  son  Amos,  and  wife  of  Aaron  Hart, 
Senior.  Captain  John  had  other  sons,  John,  Samuel, 
Nathaniel  and  Theophilus,  and  a  daughter,  wife  of  John 
Smith,  Esq. 

II.  Joseph,  son  of  Nathaniel,  lived  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  John  E.  Burd,  and  married  a  Miss  Green,  of 
Ewing.  Their  children  were  Ely,  Moses,  Ephraim,  and 
Elizabeth  wife  of  Col.  John  Vancleve. 

II.  Samuel,  son  of  Nathaniel,  occupied  the  firm  now 
in  possession  of  Wm.  B.  Curlis,  married  Rebecca  Green, 
of  Ewing,  and  had  children,  William,  Elijah,  Samuel, 
Rebecca,  Phoebe  wife  of  William  Green,  Mary  wife  of 
Jonathan  Smith,  Joanna  wife  of  Titus  Quick  of  Amwell, 
and  Abigail,  who  left  a  legacy  of  $4000  to  Pennington 
Academy. 

II.  Benjamin,  son  of  Nathaniel,  lived  on  the  home- 
stead. His  children  were  Sarah  (wife  of  David 
Woodward,  and  mother  of  Mrs.  Hannah  Moore  and 
Mrs.  Mary  Anderson),  and  Augustine,  who  married 
Sarah  (daughter  of  John  Carpenter),  who  died  April 
16,  1839,  aged  seventy-eight,  leaving  no  children. 


III.  Ely  Moore,  son  of  Joseph,  lived  on  his  father's 
farm  at  Pennington,  married  Elizabeth  daughter  of  Cor- 
nelius HofF,  and  had  Joseph  (father  of  Imlah,  Charles, 
Ely,  Thomas,  Catharine  wife  of  William  A.  Green,  and 
Elizabeth  wife  of  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Blythe),  Sarah,  third 
wife  of  Benjamin  Stout  Hill,  Fanny  wife  of  Ira  Jewell, 
and  Elizabeth  wife  of  John  Maxwell,  Savannah,  Georgia. 

III.  Moses  Moore,  son  of  Joseph,  Senior,  by  his 
second  wife,  Martha  daughter  of  Abraham  Coryell,  had 
Hon.  Ely  Moore,  member  of  Congress  from  New  York 
city.  Ely  M.  was  born  on  the  farm  owned  by  John 
Hunk  in  Hunterdon  county. 

III.  Theophilus  Moore,  son  of  Captain  John,  married 
Rhoda,  daughter  of  Justice  John  Phillips,  and  had  a 
daughter  who  married  Samuel  Holcomb  of  New  Bruns- 
wick (and  they  were  the  parents  of  Mrs.  George  P. 
Molleson,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Taylor,  Jr.),  and  a  second 
daughter,  who  married  John  V.  Hart  of  Philadelphia. 

III.  Nathaniel,  son  of  Captain  John,  married  Eleanor 
Van  Brunt,  and  had  sons,  Cornelius  and  John.  This  John 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  married  Hannah,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Price,  and  had  one  son,  and  daughters  Susan 
second  wife  of  Armitage  Green,  Eliza  who  first  married 
a  Finley  and  afterwards  Xenophon  J.  Maynard,  Maria 
wife  of  Mr.  Ellison  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Link. 

Abigail  Moore,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Moore,  was 
born  on  the  farm  owned  by  the  late  Hannah  Moore, 
May  17, 1717.  She  married  her  cousin,  Sackett  Moore, 
and  had  children :  (1)  Nathaniel,  born  December  8, 
1741,  died  September  30,  1781 ;  (2)  Jesse,  born  April 
14,  1750,  and  died  July  8,  1839 ;  (3)  Joseph,  born 
August  14, 1744,  and  died  March  20, 1803 ;  (4)  Sackett 


33 

was  born  January  7,  1754,  died  July  30,  1821;  (5) 
Benjamin,  twin  with  Sackett.  The  resemblance  was  so 
exact  that  their  nearest  neighbor  could  not  distinguish 
them,  and  usually  addressed  each  one  "  Good  morning, 
Sackett  or  Ben."  Abigail,  a  daughter  of  this  Sackett 
Moore,  Jr.  (by  his  wife  Abigail  Scudder)  married 
Joseph  Scudder  Hart,  and  she  only,  with  her  descend- 
ants represents  that  branch  of  the  family. 

Elnathan  Baldwin,  probably  from  Hempstead,  L.  X, 
married  Keziah,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Prudden,  of 
Newark,  sister  of  Mrs.  Joanna  Moore,  lived  below  Pen- 
nington, near  the  turnpike  gate.  In  his  will,  executed 
December  6th,  1738,  he  mentions  five  sons,  Stephen, 
Moses,  Thomas  (a  ruling  elder  of  this  church),  Joseph, 
and  Elnathan ;  and  daugher,  Ruth  Burt. 

II.  Moses  Baldwin  and  Deborah  Wright  were  married 
by  Rev.  Joseph  Morgan,  November  11th,  1735.  Their 
children  were  (1)  Keziah,  born  December  1st,  1736 ; 
(2)  Hannah,  born  April  11th,  1738;  (3)  Ruth,  born 
March  18th,  1740  ;  (4)  David,  born  February  16th, 
1742;  (5)  Daniel,  born  March  19th,  1744;  (6)  Mary, 
born  November  27th,  1749  ;  (7)  Andrew,  born  July 
3d,  1751;  (8)  Elizabeth,  born  May  8th,  1756,  and 
wife  of  Samuel  Titus,  son  of  Joseph  Titus,  Sen.  She 
died  July  30th,  1812.  David,  son  of  Moses,  married 
Martha  Burt,  daughter  of  Edward  Cornell,  and  had 
Moses,  Benjamin,  Daniel,  Andrew  (father  of  Deacon 
David  G.),  and  daughters. 

II.  Elnathan,  the  youngest  son,  removed  to  the  vicin- 
ity of  Hightstown,  and  his  two  sons,  Enos  and  Israel, 
were  elders  in  the  Cranberry  Church,  and  Woolsey  in 
the  Freehold  Church. 
3 


34 

John  Titus  and  wife  Rebecca,  had  sons,  Joseph,  An- 
drew, Samuel,  Benjamin,  Philip,  John  and  Thomas  ; 
daughters,  Susanna  wife  of  Thomas  Blackwell,  Mary 
wife  of  Josiah  Hart.  John  T.  owned  the  two  farms 
since  held  by  Joab  and  Noah. 

II.  Joseph  had  sons,  Uriel,  the  father  of  Joseph,  Jr.,  a 
ruling  elder  ;  Samuel,  father  of  Andrew,  a  deacon,  and 
Joseph,  second,  father  of  Jonathan  and  Samuel  (millers). 
Joseph,  Sen.,  owned  the  farm  above  Titusville,  where  his 
son  Uriel,  and  grandson  Joseph,  were  born  and  died. 

II.  Andrew,  son  of  John,  married  Hannah,  half  sister 
of  Maj.  Stephen  Burro wes,  and  had  children  (1)  Stephen 
the  father  of  George,  Andrew,  Smith,  Asa,  John,  for 
many  years  the  cashier  of  Trenton  Bank,  Aaron  Bur- 
roughs and  Charles  ;  and  daughter  Sarah  wife  of  John 
Howell,  of  Easton.  (2)  Jesse,  who  had  sons,  George 
W.,  Stephen,  Jr.,  Jesse,  Jr.,  Andrew,  Jr.,  Lot  and  The- 
ophilus.  (3)  John,  the  father  of  Noah,  Theodore, 
Charles  and  Theodosia,  who  married  Samuel,  son  of 
Jesse  Hunt.  Andrew  Titus  owned  the  farm  near  Titus- 
ville, now  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Wykoff  Hendrickson. 

II.  Samuel,  son  of  John,  took  the  homestead,  and 
had  children:  (1)  Johnson,  who  divided  the  homestead 
between  his  sons  Joab  and  Noah.  (2)  Solomon,  a  dea- 
con, who  married  Susanna,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Reed, 
and  had  Reuben  (a  deacon),  Nathaniel  R.,  an  elder, 
Abijahand  Samuel;  Susan,  wife  of  Mr.  Daniel  Bowne,and 
Mary  wife  of  Daniel  J.  Blackwell;  (3)  Benjamin,  father 
of  Randall,  David  L.,  Furman,  Liscomb  R.,  Andrew  R., 
Benjamin  Wesley,  and  Nathaniel  H.,  and  three  daugh- 
ters, who  married  respectively  Lewis  Drake,  Bayard 
Drake  and  Williamson  Updike.  (4)  Enos,  who  by 
.his  first  wife  Mary  Reed  had  Rebecca  wife  of  Henry 


35 

Blackwell,  and  by  his  second  wife  Elizabeth  Hill,  had 
Stephen,  Charles,  Adaline,  Amanda  first  wife  of  Samuel 
H.  Burroughs,  Maria  wife  of  Joseph  Bunn,  and  Ruth 
wife  of  Asher  Howell.  This  Samuel  Titus,  Sr.  had 
daughters,  Mrs.  Mary  Hunt,  Mrs.  Daniel  Stout  and  Mrs. 
Merrill. 

II.  Benjamin,  Sr.,  married  a  Moore,  and  had  children. 

II.  John,  son  of  John  first,  settled  on  the  farm  now 
in  possession  of  the  Muirheid  family,  but  removed  to  a 
farm  north  of  Harbortown. 

II.  Philip  once  owned  the  farm  now  the  property  of 
T.  Frelinghuysen  Titus. 

The  descendants  of  John  Titus  bearing  the  name  are 
numerous,  and  if  the  kindred  by  marriage  were  included, 
it  would  greatly  increase  the  number.  The  family  has 
given  to  this  church  six  ruling  elders,  four  deacons,  and 
four  trustees ;  and  to  other  Presbyterian  churches  three 
ruling  elders  and  two  deacons.  John  Titus  probably 
emigrated  from  Hempstead,  L.  I. 

Ephhaim  Titus,  of  another  family,  was  for  many  years 
an  elder  of  this  church,  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Enoch  Armitage,  and  through  his  daughters  Martha 
and  Lydia,  has  numerous  descendents  in  this  county. 

Timothy  Titus,  the  grandfather  of  the  late  Captain 
Timothy  Titus,  owned  the  lands  of  Aaron  Stout,  and 
the  late  Pierson  Bake.  Through  Susanna,  his  daugh- 
ter, who  married  Edward  Hunt,  Sr.  (on  the  river  road), 
and  through  other  female  branches  of  the  family,  he  is 
the  ancestor  of  quite  a  number  of  this  congregation. 

Edward  Hart,  from  Stonington,  Connecticut,  was  the 
commissioner  who  laid  before  the  Presbytery  of  Phila- 


delphia  the  call  for  the  pastoral  labors  of  the  Rev.  John 
Guild.  His  farm  is  that  now  owned  by  the  Temple 
family  on  the  Hopewell  and  Ewing  turnpike.  His  son 
John  was  baptized  in  the  church  at  Maidenhead  by  the ' 
Rev.  Jedediah  Andrews,  of  Philadelphia,  on  the  12th 
month,  21st  day,  1713,  old  style,  corresponding  to 
February  10th,  1714,  new  style.  This  John  became 
a  representative  of  the  Provincial  Legislature  of  New 
Jersey,  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Continental  Congress,  and  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  As  his  will  was  executed 
April  16th,  1779,  and  approved  May  26th,  1779,  the 
time  of  his  death  is  nearly  ascertained,  which  was  prob- 
ably in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  origin- 
ally buried  in  the  private  burying-ground  of  the  Hunt 
family,  but  was  a  few  years  since  removed  to  the 
cemetery  of  the  Hopewell  Baptist  Church.  On  the  oc- 
casion of  dedicating  the  monument  erected  to  his  mem- 
ory, on  the  4th  of  July,  1864,  Governor  Joel  Parker  of 
this  State  delivered  an  oration  before  a  large  assembly. 
He  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  on  his  farm  adjoining 
the  Baptist  church,  now  the  property  of  Moore  Phillips. 
He  gave  the  ground  on  which  that  meeting-house  was 
built.  John  Hart's  children  were  Jesse,  Nathaniel, 
Edward,  Sarah  Wikoff  and  Deborah. 

Edward  Hart  had  a  daughter,  Sarah,  who  first  mar- 
ried Timothy  Temple,  and  after  his  death  became  the 
second  wife  of  Stephen  Burrowes,  Sen.,  and  mother  of 
Major  Stephen  Burrowes. 

Ralph  Hart,  brother  of  Edward,  lived  over  the  town- 
ship line  in  Maidenhead,  and  left  his  real  estate  there  to 
his  sons  Samuel  and  Benjamin ;  but  two  of  his  sons, 


37 

Ralph  and  Josiah,  settled  in  Hopewell,  and  Mary  became 
the  wife  of  John  Carpenter.  Ralph,  Jr.,  married  Jemima, 
daughter  of  George  Woolsey,  Sen.,  and  had  a  son,  Dr. 
Noah,  and  daughters,  Jerusha,  Hannah  and  Elizabeth. 
By  a  second  wife,  a  widow  Merrill,  he  had  a  daughter 
Mary  wife  of  George  Smith. 

II.  Josiah  married  Mary  Titus,  daughter  of  John, 
Sen.,  and  had  Elijah,  Nathaniel,  Andrew,  Titus,  Re- 
becca wife  of  Thomas  Wilson,  Sarah  wife  of  Andrew 
Smith,  Elizabeth  wife  of  Jacob  Ege,  and  Mary  wife  of 
Ishi  Vancleve. 

III.  Elijah  married  Keziah,  daughter  of  (river  road) 
Edward  Hunt,  and  had  Enoch,  Philip,  Hannah  wife  of 
Edmund  Phillips,  and wife  of  Peter  Phillips. 

III.  Nathaniel  married  Abigail,  daughter  of  Captain 
Joseph  Scudder,  and  had  Josiah,  Elizabeth  wife  of 
Levi  Knowles,  Mary  wife  of  Ephraim  Roberts,  and 
Joseph  Scudder  (who  by  his  marriage  with  Abigail, 
daughter  of  Sackett  Moore)  became  the  father  of  Nath- 
aniel and  Sackett  Moore  Hart. 

III.  Andrew,  son  of  Josiah,  married  Elizabeth,  daugh- 
ter of  Adam  Ege,  and  their  children  were  Asa,  Amos, 
Esq.,  Abner,  Adam,  Mrs.  Robbins,  Mrs.  Theophilus 
Stout,  Sarah  wife  of  John  Phillips,  and  Rebecca. 

III.  Titus,  son  of  Josiah,  a  deacon  of  the  church ;  by 
the  first  wife,  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Capt.  Samuel  Scud- 
der, he  had  Samuel,  Noah,  Mary  (the  wife  first  of  Noah 
Stout  and  then  of  Benjamin  Hendrickson),  Abigail  wife 
of  Thomas  Blackwell,  Sarah  wife  of  Joseph  Furman, 
Rebecca  wife  of  John  P.  Stout.  By  his  second  wife, 
Phoebe  Guild,  Charity,  second  wife  of  Reuben  Titus, 
and  Hester  wife  of  Peter  Blackwell. 

Of  this  Hart  family,  Titus  Hart,  and  Daniel  H.  Hart, 


38 

a  son  of  Enoch,  were  deacons,  and  Nathaniel,  and  his 
son  Josiah,  trustees. 

Abraham  Temple  lived  on  the  farm  more  recently 
owned  by  the  late  Isaac  Primmer,  and  there  lies  buried. 
He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Moore,  Sen., 
and  had  daughters  Sarah  and  Joanna,  and  sons  Benja- 
min and  Timothy. 

II.  Timothy  married  Sarah,  sister  of  Hon.  John  Hart, 
and  had  John  and  Nathaniel. 

III.  John  married  a  daughter  of  his  uncle  Benjamin, 
and  had  Asher,  Timothy,  William,  and  Sarah  wife  of 
Asher  R.  Hart. 

III.  Nathaniel  married  twice,  had  a  son  John,  a 
daughter,  who  married  her  cousin,  William  Temple, 
and  another  daughter  wife  of  Benjamin  Hendrickson. 

IV.  John,  the  son  of  Nathaniel,  lived  and  died  in 
Trenton ;  had  a  son  William  H.,  who,  by  his  marriage 
with  Elizabeth  McClellan,  became  the  father  of  the  Rev. 
Asher  Brown  Temple,  of  Seneca,  New  York. 

Joseph  Hart  occupied  the  farm,  now  Amos  Furman's, 
had  sons  Joseph  (the  father  of  Aaron  Hart,  Sen.,  and 
grandfather  of  Jonathan  Smith,  Aaron,  Jr.,  George  H. 
and  Ann,  wife  of  James  Burroughs).  Besides  Aaron, 
Sen.,  he  had  a  son  Israel,  who  married  Mary  Davison, 
and  had  several  children,  all  now  deceased.  There  were 
other  sons  of  Joseph  Hart,  and  a  daughter  Jane. 

II.  Amos,  the  son  of  Joseph  Hart,  Sr.,  was  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Daniel  Furman,  Rebecca  wife  of  Ezekiel  Fur- 
man,  and  Mary,  second  wife  of  Amos  Laning,  Sen. 

Mary,  daughter  of  Joseph,  Sen.,  became  the  wife  of 
Jeremiah  Woolsey.  From  this  Hart  family  the  church 
has  had  one  trustee,  two  ruling  elders,  and  one  deacon. 


39 

John  Hart,  whose  farm  was  on  the  west  side  o 
Roger's  road,  leading  to  Trenton,  lately  in  possession  of 
his  grandson,  Asher  R.  Hart,  was  of  a  separate  family. 
Among  the  people  of  the  township,  the  descendants  of 
John  Hart  were  called  the  white  Harts,  and  the  descend- 
ants of  Edward  and  Ralph  were  called  the  black  Harts. 

John  Hart  had  sons,  Richard  and  John,  and  Mary, 
who  married  a  Dean. 

Richard  had  sons:  (1)  Joseph,  (2)  John  R.  (of  Honey 
Hollow,  who,  by  his  wife  Mary  Dean,  had  Richard,  John 
Dean,  Phoebe,  and  Mrs.  Naomi  Baldwin).  (3)  Asher 
R.,  the  father  of  Samuel  Stockton  Hart,  and  several 
daughters. 

John,  the  son  of  John,  settled  on  the  farm  long  held 
by  his  grandson  Abner.  By  his  first  wife  had  Elijah, 
father  of  Catharine  Hunt,  and  grandfather  of  Charles, 
Elijah,  and  Theodore  Hunt.  2  John,  unmarried ;  and 
by  his  second  wife,  Phillips  and  Abner.  Phillips  took 
the  homestead,  and  was  father  of  John,  Abner,  Benja- 
min, Joseph,  Palmer,  and  Israel,  with  Mrs.  Clara  Dunn, 
Elizabeth  wife  of  Elijah  Atchley  and  Susan. 

Ralph  Hunt.  There  were  two  of  this  name.  The 
one  who  lived  on  the  Lawrence  road,  owning  the  lands 
now  held  by  Israel  Temple  and  his  descendant,  John 
H.  Drake,  was  called  London  Ralph.  He  and  his  wife 
Elizabeth  have  the  initials  of  their  names,  R.  H.  E.,  on 
the  wrought  iron  latch  of  the  kitchen  door  at  the  old 
homestead.  Their  sons  were  John,  Edward,  Nathaniel, 
William  and  Daniel. 

II.  John,  son  of  Ralph,  known  as  Captain  Hunt,  was 
unusual  as  to  his  stature,  had  Ruth  wife  of  Stephen 
Hunt,  and  Betsy  wife  of  Jesse  Hunt,  of  Kentucky,  by 
his  wife,  Martha  Horsfull. 


40 

II.  Edward,  son  of  Ralph,  married  Charity,  daughter 
of  William  Cornwell,  or  Cornell,  had  sons  :  (1)  Ralph, 
(2)  John  (the  father  of  Asa,  Ralph,  Edward,  Nathaniel 
R.,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Henry  Drake,  Martha,  wife  of 
John  Laning,  of  Lawrence,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Christo- 
pher Vankirk),  (3)  Abigail,  wife  of  Robert  Updike,  and 
(4)  a  daughter  Elizabeth,  who  married  a  Northrop. 

II.  Nathaniel  lived  in  Lawrence,  opposite  Captain  In- 
man's,  and  by  his  wife,  Mary  Phillips,  had  Joseph,  Ralph, 
Samuel,  and  Mary,  wife  of  William  Hunt's  son  Ralph. 

II.  William's  children  were  Ralph  and  Anne. 

II.  Daniel  had  Major  Ralph,  Dr.  Benjamin  (of  Leb- 
anon), and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Jacob  Anderson. 

This  church  is  much  indebted  to  the  liberality  of  Ed- 
ward Hunt,  Sen.,  his  grandson,  Asa,  and  to  Mrs.  Ruth 
Hunt, 

The  other  Ralph  Hunt,  called  Stony  Brook  Ralph, 
owned  the  farm  below  Mt.  Rose,  since  held  by  Abraham 
Terhune.  He  was  the  father  of  Charity,  wife  of  the 
Rev.  John  Guild,  of  Azariah,  prominent  in  the  public 
affairs  of  the  township ;  Nathan,  for  many  years  a  ruling 
elder  and  trustee;  Elijah  and  Noah. 

II.  Azariah's  sons  were  Ephraim,  who  was  killed  by 
a  horse,  and  Ralph  (distinguished  for  his  flaxen  hair) 
was  father  of  William,  Catharine  and  Nancy. 

II.  Nathan's  sons,  John  and  Enoch,  never  married, 
but  his  son  Noah,  by  his  wife  who  was  a  Drake,  had 
John,  who  married  a  sister  of  Theophilus  Quick,  Enoch, 
who  married  a  daughter  of  Smith  Titus,  and  another, 
who  was  wife  of  Andrew  Black  well. 

John  Hunt,  son  of  Edward  of  Newtown,  L.  I.,  owned 
the  farm  where  Stephen  Hunt  now  lives  ;  had,  by  Mar- 


41 


garet,  his  wife,  sons  Noah,  Wilson,  John,  Jonathan, 
Enoch,  Gershom  and  Daniel ;  and  daughters  Johanah 
and  Charity.     He  died  in  1749. 

II.  Noah  took  the  homestead,  and  had  Stephen,  a 
trustee,  and  Achsah,  who  married  Josiah  Vankirk.  Ste- 
phen had  two  sons,  Noah  H.  and  Asa  R.,  who  did  not 
live  to  inherit  the  estate.  Achsah  Vankirk  had  Sarah, 
who  married  Peter  S.  Schenck,  and  still  lives,  at  the 
age  of  87,  mother  of  Rev.  Noah  Hunt  Schenck.  D.D. 

II.  Wilson  finally  settled  northwest  of  Marshall's 
corner,  and  had  (1)  Elijah,  who  married  and  had  child- 
ren. (2)  James  (Deacon),  the  father  of  Joseph,  Wil- 
son, Peter,  James,  Elijah,  and  Jonathan,  who  took  the 
homestead  of  James,  the  father.  (3)  Abraham,  mer- 
chant in  Trenton,  and  father  of  Wesley,  Wilson,  Abra- 
ham, Philemon,  Robert  and  Theodosia.  (4)  Nathaniel 
had  sons,  Randall  and  Wilson,  and  Theodosia  and  Sarah, 
who  live  in  Cranberry.  (5)  Jonathan,  who  had  one 
daughter.  (6)  Mrs.  Susan  Gordon.  (7)  Mrs.  Johnes  of 
Lawrence.  (8)  Charity  wife  of  Dr.  De  Camp,  of  Stouts- 
burgh,  (9)  also  a  Mrs.  Stout.  (10)  John  Price,  who, 
by  his  marriage  with  Margaret  Guild,  had  Charity,  who 
married  a  Wilson,  Susan  wife  of  James  Stevenson, 
Mrs.  Mary  Rruere,  Azariah,  Wilson  P.,  Elijah  and  John 
Guild.  This  is  the  Wilson  P.  Hunt  who,  under  the  pat- 
ronage of  John  Jacob  Astor,  crossed  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains to  the  Pacific. 

II.  Jonathan  went  to  the  South,  had  a  son  George. 

II.  John's  children  were  John,  innkeeper  at  Penning- 
ton (who  had  one  daughter,  Eliza,  Mrs.  Welch,  of 
Boston),  Wilson,  Margaret  wife  of  James  Wilson  of  Am- 
well ;  Rebecca  wife  of  Gershom  Lambert,  and  by  a 
second  wife,  had  Lemuel,  Isaac,  and  Eure  wife  of  Cor- 
nelius Larrison. 


42 

This  Hunt  family,  in  its  several  branches,  has  done 
much  for  the  interests  of  the  Church. 


Edward  Hunt,  of  quite  another  family.  He  was 
possibly  the  Edward  to  whom  Ralph  Hunt  of  Maiden- 
head, in  his  will,  made  1732,  bequeathed  150  acres  in 
Hopewell.  He  married  Susanna,  daughter  of  his  neigh- 
bor, Timothy  Titus,  and  had  Timothy,  John,  Keziah 
wife  of  Elijah  Hart,  Mary  wife  of  Moore  Scott,  Phoebe 
wife  of  John  Furman,  Hannah  and  Sarah. 

II.  Timothy  married  Fanny,  a  daughter  of  Richard 
Phillips,  and  had  children  :  (1)  Richard,  who  married 
Hannah,  daughter  of  John  Phillips,  and  had  children, 
Abner,  Wilson,  Elisha,  Abigail  wife  of  Abner  Hart, 
Rhoda  wTife  of  Richard  Brewer,  and  Frances  wife  of 
Smith  Titus.  (2)  Timothy,  by  Catharine,  daughter  of 
Elijah  Hart,  and  Theodore,  Charles,  Elijah  H.,  and 
Francina — lived  where  Daniel  H.  Hart  died. 

II.  John  married  Jane,  daughter  of  Theophilus  Phil- 
lips, and  had  children,  (1)  Theophilus,  who  by  his  first 
wife,  a  daughter  of  John  Smith,  Esq.,  had  Philip  Titus 
and  John  Smith ;  and  by  his  second  wife  Elizabeth  Far- 
ley had  George,  and  Jane  wife  of  Daniel  Howell  Phillips. 

From  this  family  there  have  been  two  ruling  elders  in 
the  Pennington  Church  and  one  elder  in  Titusville 
Church. 

Andrew  Smith.  There  is  some  interest  attached  to 
him,  as  the  naming  of  this  township  probably  origi- 
nated from  the  naming  of  his  early  purchase  of  land 
here,  in  date,  so  far  as  the  records  show,  anterior  to  any 
other  purchase  for  occupation.     On  the  20th  of  May, 


43 

1688,  Cornelius  Empson,  of  Brandywine  Creek,  sold  to 
Andrew  Smith  two  hundred  acres,  which  tract  the  deed 
says,  he,  the  said  Empson,  "doth  enfeoff  and  confirm  unto 
the  said  Andrew  Smith,  heretofore  laid  forth  in  the  county 
of  Burlington  aforesaid,  and  also  settled  upon,  and  by  him 
the  said  Andrew  Smith  called  and  to  he  called,  Hopewell." 
This  200  acre  tract  is  probably  the  homestead  near 
Harbortown.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  he  signed 
the  call  for  Mr.  Guild's  services  in  1739.  Andrew 
Smith  was  a  professional  surveyor  (as  was  also  his  son 
Timothy),  and  this  would  be  reason  sufficient  for  the 
adoption  of  a  name  suggested  by  him.  He  had  three 
sons,  Andrew,  Jonathan  and  Timothy. 

II.  Andrew  married  Mrs.  Mershon,  and  had  Charles 
and  Zebulon,  both  unmarried,  and  Andrew,  who  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  Josiah  Hart,  Sen.,  and  had  Ben- 
jamin (dead),  George  Washington,  Esq.,  and  Nathaniel. 

II.  Jonathan  married  Miss  Hixon,  and  had  (1)  John 
Smith,  Esq.,  both  ruling  elder  and  trustee  in  Penning- 
ton Church,  who,  by  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  John 
Moore,  had  Jonathan  (father  of  John,  ruling  elder  in 
Lambertville),  Keziah  wife  of  Daniel  Atchley,  Jane 
wife  of  Theophilus  Hunt,  Phoebe  second  wife  of  George 
W.  Smith,  Esq.,  Sarah  wife  of  Crineyance  Vancleve  Jr., 
and  the  mother  of  Jonathan  and  Samuel  Titus  of  Stony 
Brook  Mill. 

II.  Timothy,  the  surveyor  (and  a  beautiful  penman), 
married  Jane  Lott,  and  had  Joseph,  Andrew,  George, 
the  father  of  Capt.  Ralph  H.  Smith,  and  grandfather  of 
Stephen  B.  Smith ;  John  Berrien,  Sarah  wife  of  James 
Wilson,  Abigail  wife  of  John  Vannoy,  Mary  wife  of 
Stephen  Titus,  Andrew's  son. 

From  this  family  there  have  been  two  trustees  and  a 


44 

ruling  elder  in  Pennington   church,  and  one   elder  of 
Lambertville  Church. 

John  Welling  came  from  Jamaica,  L.  I.,  bought  223 
acres  (of  which  he  was  then  in  possession  by  a  year's 
lease)  July  18,  1728,  of  Terit  Lester,  who  had  bought 
of  John  Muirheid,  and  he  of  John  Fitch,  to  whom  it 
had  been  conveyed  by  John  Reading  and  James  Trent, 
Commissioners  of  the  Loan  Office.  His  son,  John 
Welling,  Esq.,  married  Esther,  the  oldest  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  John  Guild.     Their  children  were 

(1)  Enoch,  born  April  21,  1769,  married  Rebecca, 
sister  of  Samuel  Green,  who  died  March  12,  1837,  in 
the  63d  year  of  her  age.  Their  children  were  Enoch 
G.,  who  married  Elizabeth  Grover.  He  died  June  7, 
1848,  in  the  50th  year  of  his  age.  The  other  son  of 
Enoch,  Sr.,  John,  died  August  31,  1832,  in  the  32d 
year  of  his  age,  married  Sarah  Grover,  and  has  sons, 
Charles  and  Lewis* 

(2)  John,  born  January  17,  1772,  died  July  5,  1800, 
in  the  29th  year  of  his  age,  an  enrolled  communicant. 

(3)  Hannah,  wife  of  John  Davison,  born  April  10, 
1774. 

(4)  Charles,  born  February  10,  1777,  by  his  wife, 
Mary  Sexton,  had  nine  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom 
Charles,  of  Missouri,  and  two  others,  survive.  Charles 
Welling,  died  October  15,  1857,  having  been  over  fifty- 
seven  years  an  elder  of  Pennington  Church,  and  many 
years  a  trustee. 

(5)  Asa,  born  November,  1779,  and  died  young. 

(6)  Isaac,  born  January  27,  1784,  died  February  29, 
1868,  having  been  thirty-eight  years  an  elder.  He 
married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Lewis  Perrine,  of  Freehold. 
Their  son  John  held  the  office  of  deacon  in  this  church, 


45 

and  of  ruling  elder  at  Titusville.  After  a  life  of  eminent 
piety  and  usefulness,  lie  died,  leaving  three  sons,  John 
Calvin,  Joseph  and  Henry.  The  two  daughters  of  Mr. 
Isaac  Welling  are  still  with  us,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Wiley 
and  Mrs.  Hannah  Cooley ;  also  Dr.  Henry  P.  Welling, 
a  graduate  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  1828,  and  of 
the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  for  forty-five  years  a  skillful  practitioner  of 
medicine  in  this  region.  His  son,  Edward  Livingston 
Welling,  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  1857, 
and  M.D.  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  is  now 
united  with  his  father  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  His 
honorable  record  as  a  surgeon  in  the  army  during  the  late 
war  deserves  a  fuller  statement  than  can  here  be  given. 

John  Welling,  Sr.,  had,  besides  his  son  John  Welling, 
Jr.,  a  daughter  named  Elisabeth,  born  1730,  and  there- 
fore ten  years  older  than  her  brother  John.  She  mar- 
ried Jacob  Carle,  a  ruling  elder  in  the  Ewing  Church, 
who  died  November  23, 1800,  aged  75.  She  died  May 
22,  1801.  Both  lie  in  the  Ewing  churchyard.  Their 
children  were  John,  Jacob,  Israel,  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
John  Van  Mater,  and  Hannah.  By  the  marriage  of 
Hannah  to  Aaron  Vancleve,  she  became  the  mother  of 
Dr.  John  Vancleve,  and  of  that  remarkable  woman, 
Elizabeth  wife  of  Caleb  Smith  Green,  whose  children, 
John  C.  Green,  George  S.  Green,  Chancellor  Henry  W. 
Green,  Caleb  S.  Green,  and  grandson  Professor  William 
Henry  Green,  are  all  wTell  known  in  the  community. 

But  there  remains  time  only  to  name  others,  William 
Cornwell  or  Cornell,  (with  his  five  sons,  Smith,  William, 
John,  Edward,  and  Benjamin),  worthily  represented  by 
his  descendant,  Samuel  C.  Cornell,  and  whose  old  home- 
stead is  occupied  by  one  who  bears  the  name  William 
Cornell  Lewis. 


46 

There  was  Jesse  Atchley,  from  Cranberry,  with  his 
six  sons,  Edward,  Thomas,  Levi,  Asher,  Daniel  and 
Jesse,  from  which  family  there  has  been  one  ruling 
elder ;  there  were  Jonathan  Furman,  ancestor  of  The- 
ophilus,  an  elder,  Samuel  Hunt,  Thomas  Hoff,  whose 
family  gave  us  two  ruling  elders,  Charles  Hoff,  whose 
family  gave  us  one  .deacon,  Francis  Vannoy,  John  Phil- 
lips, Esq.,  of  Pleasant  Valley,  originally  from  LaAvrence, 
John  Ketcham,  his  son  Levi,  grandson  Enoch,  both  elder 
and  trustee,  and  the  great  grandsons  Joshua,  Enoch, 
William  Smith,  and  their  nephew  Samuel,  a  trustee, 
whose  liberality  as  a  family  in  the  erection  of  the  new 
church  will  not  soon  be  forgotten;  Robert  Blackwell, 
who,  through  his  sons  Francis  and  Thomas,  h^s  spread 
over  the  township.  From  this  family  we  have  had  an 
elder,  a  deacon,  and  a  trustee ;  Cryance  Vancleve,  whose 
son,  Colonel  John  Vancleve,  was  a  trustee,  and  a  great 
grandson,  John  S.,  a  deacon ;  Robert  Drake,  several  of 
whose  posterity  have  been  on  the  church  roll ;  Andreiv 
Morgan,  Thomas  Roberts,  John  Field,  Joshua  Bunn,  John 
Bainbridge,  son  of  the  elder  John  Bainbridge,  of  Law- 
rence, Adam  Ege,  William  Bryant,  John  Reed,  Edmund 
and  Philip  Palmer,  Abraham  Pittinger,  Josiah  BeaJces, 
John  Davison,  the  Bakers,  Robert  Laning,  Joseph  Bur- 
roughs, son  of  John  B.,  of  Ewing,  Samuel,  and  his  son 
Jonathan  Stout,  and  a  little  later  came  Joseph  Vankirk 
from  Amwell. 

PENNINGTON. 

In  1G97,  July  12th,  eleven  hundred  acres  of  land 
(thirteen  hundred  in  fact)  were  sold  to  Johannas  Law- 
renson,  of  Maidenhead  (Lawrence)  by  Thomas  Re  veil, 
agent  of  the  West  Jersey  Society.     Lawrenson  con- 


47 

veyed  his  title  to  Richbell  Mott,  May  14,  1700,  and 
Mott  sold  out  his  claim  November  11,  1708,  to  John 
Cornwall,  John  Mott,  Nathaniel  Moore,  and  Thomas 
Read.  It  is  on  this  section  of  land  that  this  village  of 
Pennington  is  built,  measuring  about  one  mile  and  three- 
eighths  from  north  to  south,  and  from  east  to  west  em- 
bracing about  two  square  miles.  The  settlement  of  the 
village  probably  began  near  1708.  It  was  first  named 
Queenstown,  in  honor  of  Queen  Anne,  the  sovereign  of 
Great  Britain.  As  early  as  1747  it  began  to  be  called 
Pennington,  which  name  it  has  borne  ever  since. 

The  name  by  which  the  old  congregation  was  known 
in  its  earliest  history  was 

"THE  PEOPLE  OF  MAIDENHEAD  AND  HOPEWELL." 

The  first  authentic  evidence  that  there  were  Chris- 
tian people  in  this  region  uniting  together  for  the 
maintenance  of  religious  worship,  is  found  in  the  record 
of  a  deed  bearing  date  1698-9,  March  18th,  in  which 
the  Honorable  Jeremiah  Basse,  Esq.,  Governor  of  the 
Provinces  of  East  and  West  Jersey,  and  Thomas  Re- 
vell,  &c,  agents  of  the  Honorable  the  West  Jersey 
Society  in  England,  convey  "  for  the  erecting  of  a  meet- 
ing-house, and  for  burying-ground  and  school-house," 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  to  "  Ralph  Hunt,  John  Bain- 
bridge,  Johannes  Lawrenson,  William  Hixon,  John 
Bryerly,  Samuel  Hunt,  Theophilus  Phillips,  Jonathan 
Davis,  Thomas  Smith,  Jasper  Smith,  Thomas  Coleman, 
Benjamin  Hardin,  William  Akers,  Robert  Lannen, 
Philip  Phillips,  Joshua  Andris,  Samuel  Davis,  Elnathan 
Davis,  Enoch  Andris,  Cornelius  Andris,  James  Price, 
John  Runyan,  Thomas  Runyan,  Hezekiah  Bonham, 
Benjamin  Maple,  Lawrence    Updike,  Joseph  Sackett, 


48 

and  Edward  Hunt,  "inhabitants  of  the  said  township 
aforesaid,  i.  e.,  Maidenhead,  and  parts  adjacent."  There 
is  a  strong  presumption  that  the  first  house  of  worship 
for  the  congregation  was  erected  in  what  is  now  called 
Lawrenceville.  Further,  the  baptismal  records  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia,  show  that  the 
Rev.  Jedediah  Andrews  of  that  church  administered 
the  rite  of  baptism  at  Maidenhead  in  1713  and  1714, 
and  it  is  matter  of  ecclesiastical  record  that  the  Rev. 
Robert  Orr,  the  first  pastor,  was  ordained  and  installed 
October  20,  1715,  in  the  meeting-house  at  Maidenhead. 
The  second  church  edifice  was  in  what  is  now  known 
as  Ewing  township,  built  of  logs  in  1712,  on  land  con- 
veyed by  Major  Alexander  Lockhart,  March  9,  1709, 
to  Richard  Scudder  and  sixteen  others  in  trust.  The 
third  in  order  was  erected  in  Pennington,  as  early  as 
the  year  1724  or  1725,  on  the  site  of  the  old  brick 
church,  which  was  taken  down  in  1847.  The  fourth 
edifice  was  built  of  stone  in  1726,  on  or  near  the  site  of 
what  is  now  known  as  the  First  Church,  Trenton  city. 

The  first  ecclesiastical  record  of  this  congregation  is 
found  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia, 
May  11th,  1709,  as  follows  : 

Ordered,  that  Mr.  Smith  go  to  the  people  of  Maidenhead  and  Hope- 
well, and  confer  with  them  on  such  matters  as  shall  be  propounded  to 
him  by  them,  concerning  his  being  called  to  be  their  minister;  and  that 
Mr.  Smith  preach  to  the  people  aforesaid  on  his  way  to  New  England  or 
return  from  it,  or  both:  and  that  this  be  intimated 'to  Mr.  Smith,  and 
the  people  be  writ  to  by  Mr.  Andrews. 

Whether  anything  was  done  to  carry  out  this  order 
is  unknown,  but  the  wish  of  the  people  to  obtain  the 
ministrations  of  the  gospel  was  not  then  realized. 

In  the  Minutes  of  Presbytery  of  September  11th, 
1711,  it  is  written  : 


49 

Upon  the  desire  of  the  people  of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell  signified 
by  Mr.  Wm.  Yard,  for  our  assisting  them  in  getting  a  minister,  it  was 
agreed  that  in  case  the  people  of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell  are  not 
engaged  with  Mr.  Sackett,  that  they  use  all  opportunities  they  have  for 
a  speedy  supply,  and  apply  themselves  to  the  neighboring  ministers  for 
assistance  in  getting  a  minister  for  them. 

The  Mr.  Sackett  here  spoken  of  was  the  Rev.  Rich- 
ard Sackett  who  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1709,  and 
died  in  1727. 

The  congregation  spread  over  this  extensive  territory 
continued  as  one  under  the  ministration  of  three  suc- 
cessive pastors,  the  Rev.  Robert  Orr,  the  Rev.  Moses 
Dickinson,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Morgan,  respecting 
each  of  whom  a  brief  account  will  be  given. 

I.  Rev.  Robert  Orr. — His  name  indicates  his  Scotch 
origin,  although  the  place  of  his  birth  is  not  known. 
He  was  received  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  as 
a  licentiate,  September  15th,  1715,  at  a  meeting  held 
in  New  Castle,  Delaware,  when  the  following  record 
was  made : 

Mr.  Philip  Ringo  having  presented  a  call  from  the  people  of  Mai- 
denhead and  Hopewell,  in  West  Jersey,  unto  Mr.  Robert  Orr,  the  Pres- 
bytery called  for,  considered  and  approved  his  credentials  as  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel,  and  likewise  considered  of  and  approved  the  call,  which 
being  presented  by  the  Moderator  unto  the  said  Mr.  Orr,  he  accepted  of 
it ;  whereupon  it  was  appointed  that  Mr.  Andrews,  Powel,  M'Nish, 
Jones  and  Morgan,  after  having  been  satisfied  with  Mr.  Orr,  his  minis- 
terial abilities,  shall  solemnly  ordain  him  by  fasting,  prayer,  and  impo- 
sition of  hands  unto  the  work  of  the  ministry  among  the  said  people  of 
Hopewell  and  Maidenhead  on  the  third  Wednesday  of  October  next. 

Again,  in  the  Minutes  of  September  18th,  1716,  it  is 
recorded  : 

••  Mr.  Orr  was  ordained  at  Maidenhead  according  to  appointment,  only 
Masters  M'Nish,  Jones  and  Powel  were  absent,  and  in  the  room  of  these 
three  other  ministers  assisted." 
4 


50 

Again : 

Memorandum. — Mr.  Robert  Orr  having  performed  those  points  of 
trial  assigned  hirn  to  satisfaction,  namely,  preached  a  popular  sermon 
from  James  ii.  24,  and  given  an  Exegesis  on  that  question,  "  An  foedus 
circumcisione  signatum  a  foedere  Evangelico  essentialiter  differat,"  and 
also  answered  to  several  interlocutory  questions  touching  theological 
matters,  and  given  a  specimen  of  his  attainments  in  other  parts  of  learn- 
ing to  good  approbation,  he  the  said  Mr.  Orr  was,  on  the  20th  day  of 
October,  1815,  solemnly  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  by  Masters 
Andrews,  Morgan  (Jonathan),  Dickinson,  Evans  and  Bradner,  at  Mai- 
denhead, before  a  numerous  assembly. 

Mr.  Orr  lived  on  the  farm  which  until  recently  was 
the  property  of  William  A.  Green,  within  the  township 
of  Lawrence,  and  on  the  Ewing  boundary  line.  Mr. 
Orr  lost  a  son  by  death,  while  residing  there.  The 
grave  is  in  the  Ewing  churchyard,  by  the  side  of  a  son 
of  Sheriff  John  Muirheid.  The  pastoral  relation  of 
Mr.  Orr  continued  about  four  years.  As  the  Minutes 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  from  1717  to  Novem- 
ber 9th,  1733,  have  been  lost,  there  is  no  record  of  the 
time  of  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation.  His 
name  is  mentioned  as  being  present  at  the  meetings  of 
Presbytery  and  Synod  during  his  pastorate,  and  at 
Presbytery,  September  18th,  1716,  his  elder  Enoch 
Anderson  appears  with  him.  The  last  notice  of  Mr. 
Orr  is  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia, 
.September  19th,  1719,  when  he  is  spoken  of  as  "having 
no  pastoral  charge,"  and  Mr.  Andrews  was  ordered  to 
prepare  Synodical  testimonials  for  him,  which  were 
made  out  and  given  him.  The  time  of  his  death  and 
the  place  of  his  burial  are  unknown. 

II.  The  Rev.  Moses  Dickinson  was  the  second  pastor. 
He  was  born  December  12,  1695,  at  Springfield,  Mass., 
,son  of  Hezekiah  and  Abigail  Dickinson.     He  graduated 


51 

at  Yale  College  in  1717,  in  a  class  of  five  members, 
every  one  of  whom  entered  the  Christian  ministry. 
This  was  the  year  in  which  the  college  was  removed 
from  Saybrook  to  New  Haven.  Dr.  Sprague  states 
that  Mr.  Dickinson  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Churches  of  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead,  New 
Jersey,  some  time  before  September,  1719,  for  his  ill- 
ness at  that  time  detained  his  brother  (Rev.  Jonathan 
Dickinson)  from  Synod.  Owing  to  the  loss  of  the 
records  of  Presbytery,  this  date  cannot  be  verified. 
He  first  appeared  in  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  Sep- 
tember 20,  1722,  with  his  elder,  Enoch  Armitage,  of 
the  Hopewell  Church,  and  was  at  Synod  with  the  same 
elder  in  1724  and  1725.  He  continued  in  the  pastoral 
relation  until  after  the  26th  of  June,  1727,  when  the 
Society  of  the  Congregational  Church,  Norwalk,  voted 
to  request  Mr.  Dickinson  to  supply  their  pulpit,  with 
reference  to  a  settlement  among  them.  He  came,  and 
after  he  had  preached  two  or  three  Sabbaths,  they  gave 
him  a  call  to  become  their  pastor.  The  unwillingness 
of  the  Hopewell  people  to  part  with  him  is  clearly  indi- 
cated by  an  address,  which  that  worthy  elder,  Enoch 
Armitage,  wrote  out  and  delivered  before  the  people, 
entitled,  "  Some  Meditations  upon  the  15th,  16th,  17th 
verses  of  the  Twenty-Seventh  Chapter  of  Numbers, 
occasioned  by  the  removal  of  Mr.  Dickinson,  and  de- 
livered at  Hopewell  Meeting-House  by  E.  A." 

Mr.  Dickinson  was  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Norwalk  from  1727  until  May  1,  1778.  On 
his  tombstone  is  the  inscription,  "  Beneath  this  monu- 
mental stone  lies  interred  the  body  of  the  Rev.  Moses 
Dickinson,  late  pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Christ  in 
Norwalk,  who  departed  this  life  May  1,  1778,  in  the 


52 

83d  year  of  his  age,  and  51st  of  his  ministry  in  said 
church.  A  man  of  good  understanding,  well  informed 
by  study,  cheerful  in  temper,  prudent  in  conduct,  he 
came  to  his  grave  in  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn 
cometh  in  his  season." 

The  first  church  edifice  at  Pennington  was  erected 
during  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Dickinson.  In  the  words 
of  a  memorandum,  which  was  furnished  by  the  writer 
to  Dr.  J  ohn  Hall,  in  preparing  his  History  of  Trenton : 
"  In  the  old  records  of  Hopewell  Township,"  we  find 
the  following : 

"  March  ye  9th,  1725-6,  agreed  upon  by  the  majority  of  the  town  to 
hold  their  town-meetings  insuing  at  the  new  meeting-house  by  John 
Smiths."  This  John  Smith  was  a  merchant  in  the  village,  and  owned 
the  lands  adjoining  the  church  lot  east  and  south.  There  is  a  tradition 
that  before  a  church  was  built  there  was  stated  preaching  in  a  school- 
house  which  stood  on  the  ground  that  is  now  the  south  part  of  the  Pen- 
nington graveyard,  known  from  time  immemorial  as  the  school-house 
lot.  This  lot  was  conveyed  by  John  Smith,  for  ten  pounds,  to  Nathaniel 
Moore,  William  Cornwell,  John  Everitt,  Ralph  Hunt,  Jonathan  Fur- 
man,  Reuben  Armitage,  and  Stephen  Baldwin. 

This  meeting-house  stood  nearly  on  the  site  of  the 
brick  building  that  was  taken  down  in  1847,  but  six- 
teen feet  further  north.  It  was  a  frame  building,  thirty- 
four  by  thirty  feet,  weather-boarded  with  cedar  shingles. 
The  pulpit  was  on  the  north  side,  and  the  doors  on  the 
south.  In  1765,  when  this  frame  church  was  replaced 
by  another,  the  bilstead  timbers  were  removed  to  the 
parsonage  farm  on  the  Scotch  road,  and  used  as  the 
frame  of  a  barn.  That  frame,  with  quite  a  number  of 
the  old  weather-beaten  cedar  shingles,  even  yet  service- 
able for  weather-boarding,  may  be  seen  at  the  present 
day. 


53 

That  Mr.  Dickinson  was  not  without  spiritual  fruit 
from  his  labors  here,  is  evident  from  a  letter  written  to 
Cotton  Mather  in  May,  1721,  in  which  the  writer  speaks 
of  "the  astonishing  marks  of  a  work  of  grace  around 
him,  and  which  were  more  plentiful  among  those  who 
had  been  longer  under  the  means  of  grace;"  and  in 
another  letter,  written  in  September,  he  speaks  of 
"magnum  incrementum  ecclesiae  in  Mr.  Dickinson's 
congregation." 

III.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Morgan  was  the  third  pastor. 
His  name  has  led  to  the  opinion  that  he  was  a  native 
of  Wales.  He  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1702. 
President  Woolsey,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  says  : 
"  Some  interest  is  attached  to  Mr.  Morgan  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  not  only  one  of  the  members  of  the 
first  class  in  Yale  College,  but  also  the  only  one  of  the 
class  who  did  not  also  take  his  degree  at  Harvard ;  that 
is  the  only  one  veritably  educated  at  Yale  alone"  He 
was  licensed  to  preach  in  1697,  and  ordained  in  1700. 
He  preached  the  sermon  at  the  ordination  of  the  Rev. 
Jonathan  Dickinson  of  Elizabethtown,  New  Jersey,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1709.  He  was  settled  in  the  ministry  first 
at  Greenwich,  Connecticut.  In  1710  he  removed  to 
Freehold,  New  Jersey,  being  received  by  the  Presby- 
tery September  21,  1710.  Here  he  remained  as  pastor 
until  1729,  when  he  undertook  the  pastoral  charge  of 
the  church  of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell. 

While  at  Freehold,  he  was  greatly  afflicted  by  the 
death  of  his  son  Joseph,  a  graduate  of  Yale,  who  was 
preparing  for  the  ministry.  He  died  on  the  28th  of 
November,  1723 ;  on  the  30th  the  father  preached  from 
Job  x.  2,  and  on  the  next  day  from  Psalm  cxxxvii.  1. 


54 

These  discourses  are  in  print,  and  to  be  found  in  the 
Library  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  Another 
printed  sermon  of  Mr.  Morgan's  is  deposited  in  the 
Library  of  the  Antiquarian  Society,  Worcester,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

During  his  pastorate  of  eight  years,  from  1729  to 
April  6,  1737,  he  resided  at  Maidenhead,  on  the  pro- 
perty for  many  years  occupied  by  the  late  George 
Brearley. 

He  was  deposed  from  the  ministry  for  intemperance, 
and  afterwards  restored.  All  the  proceedings  of  the 
case  now  lie  before  me,  but  nothing  would  be  gained 
by  their  publication.  His  name  appears  for  the  last 
time  on  the  records  of  the  Synod  as  an  absentee,  May 
8,  1740.  When  and  where  he  died,  and  where  he  was 
buried,  has  not  been  ascertained. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Morgan  began  his  ministerial  labors 
in  the  congregation  of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell,  active 
measures  were  taken  by  the  Hopewell  people  to  pro- 
cure a  parsonage  farm.  The  original  subscription  reads 
thus  : 


We  hereunto  subscribed  inhabitants  of  Hopewell,  in  the  county  of 
Hunterdon,  in  the  province  of  West  Jersey,  do  promise  and  oblige  our- 
selves, our  executors  and  administrators,  to  pay  or  cause  to  be  paid  unto 
Nathaniel  Moore,  Philip  Ringo,  and  Thomas  Reed,  their  heirs,  execu- 
tors, administrators  or  assigns,  or  to  any  one  of  them,  the  several  sums 
of  money  that  are  to  our  names  annexed,  one-half  at  or  before  the  first 
day  of  May  next  ensuing  the  date  hereof,  and  the  other  half  at  or  before 
the  first  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1731,  the  said  money  being 
in  trust  with  the  said  Nathaniel  Moore,  Philip  Ringo,  and  Thomas 
Reed,  toward  the  purchasing  of  a  plantation  to  be  a  dwelling  place  at 
all  times  for  such  a  gospel  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  persuasion  as 
shall  be  duly  and  regularly  called  by  the  major  part  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Hopewell,  which  compose  the  Presbyterian  society  in  that  town,  but 
to  be  enjoyed  by  such  a  minister  no  longer  than  he  continues  to  be  such 
a  lawful  and  regular  minister  to  that  society,  and  when  the  relation 


55 

between  such  minister  and  that  society  shall  cease,  then  the  said  plan- 
tation shall  return  to  the  said  society,  to  be  a  dwelling  place  for  the 
the  minister  yt  shall  next  be  regularly  called,  to  dwell  on  as  aforesaid, 
and  if  the  subscribers  shall  judge  meet  that  if  there  be  above  one  hun- 
dred acres  purchased,  that  the  said  shall  be  set  apart  towards  the  found- 
ing of  a  Latin  School  upon  the  said  plantation  so  purchased  as  above. 

We  give  the  names  of  the  subscribers,  omitting  the 
sums  of  money : 

Timothy  Titus,  William  Lawrence,  Thomas  Burrowes,  Jr.,  John 
Branes,  Cornelius  Anderson,  Benjamin  Severance,  Francis  Vannoy, 
Jonathan  Moore,  Edmund  Palmer,  Alexander  Scott,  Edward  Hunt, 
Thomas  Hendrick,  Robert  Akers,  Peter  La  Rue,  John  Fidler,  Andrew 
Milbourn,  Roger  Woolverton,  Benjamin  Wilcocks,  Johannes  Hendrick- 
son,  Henry  Oxley,  Roger  Parke,  John  Parke,  Ralph  Hunt,  Joseph 
Hart,  Abraham  Anderson,  Barth.  Anderson,  Joseph  Price,  Ephraim 
Titus,  Robert  Blackwell,  Ralph  Hunt,  Jr.,  Richard  Bryant,  Jonathan 
Stout,  Jonas  Wood,  Thomas  Read,  John  Hunt,  Jonathan  Furman, 
Samuel  Furman,  John  Carpenter,  Samuel  Hunt,  Nathaniel  Moore, 
George  Woolsey,  Jonathan  Wright,  Caleb  Carman,  Elnathan  Baldwin. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  this  effort  was  the  first  step 
towards  the  purchase  of  the  parsonage  farm  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Scotch  road  adjoining  the  lands  of  George 
Woolsey,  Aaron  Hart,  and  Stephen  B.  Smith,  and 
where  for  many  years  lived  the  Rev.  John  Guild  and 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Rue,  successively  pastors  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Hopewell. 

Before  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Morgan  closed,  the  Trenton 
people  worshiping  in  the  two  meeting-houses,  the  one  in 
the  country  and  the  other  in  the  city,  were  organized 
into  a  separate  congregation.  The  first  recorded  intima- 
tion of  such  a  a  movement  is  found  in  the  Minutes  of 
Philadelphia  Synod,  September  19,  1733 : 

Upon  a  supplication  of  the  people  of  Trenton,  presented  to  the  Synod 
by  the  committee  of  the  Synod,  it  was  recommended  by  said  committee 


56 

that  the  commission  of  the  Synod  do  allow  something  out  of  the  fund  to 
Trenton  as  to  them  shall  appear  needful  when  they  are  settled  with  a 
minister :  which  overture  being  read  was  approved  by  the  Synod  nemine 
contradicente. 

The  Trenton  people  afterwards  procured  the  services 
of  the  Rev.  David  Cowell  of  Harvard  University,  1732, 
a  native  of  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  who  was  or- 
dained and  installed  their  pastor  November  3d,  1736. 
Here  Mr.  Cowell  continued  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  December  1st,  1760. 

IV.  The  Rev.  John  Guild  is  the  next  pastor  that 
claims  our  attention.  He  was  born  in  Wrentham, 
Massachusetts,  in  1712,  a  son  of  John  and  Esther  Guild. 
He  entered  Harvard  College,  at  Cambridge,  at  the  age 
of  eighteen,  and,  after  passing  through  the  regular  four 
years'  course,  graduated  in  1734.  He  was  taken  under 
the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  April  6, 
1737,  at  the  time  when  the  result  of  Mr.  Morgan's  case 
dissolved  the  pastoral  relation,  through  the  action  of  a 
commission  held  at  Maidenhead.  On  the  4th  of  August, 
1737,  he  was  heard  in  part  and  approved.  On  the  13th 
of  September,  1737,  after  having  preached  a  sermon 
from  Galatians  vi.  15,  before  the  Presbytery  in  the 
Market  Street  Meeting  House,  Philadelphia,  he  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel.  He  was  at  once  em- 
ployed by  the  Hopewell  people  to  preach  with  a  view 
to  settlement.  At  this  time  the  conflict  which  in  1741 
divided  the  Church  into  two  parts,  the  Old  Side  and  the 
New  Side,  had  begun  to  agitate  the  religious  community 
here.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  March  14, 1737-8, 
the  New  Side  men  asked  the  privilege  of  hearing  Mr. 
James  Davenport,   or  some   other  minister,  for  three 


57 


months.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Guild  quietly  yielded,  and 
a  letter  was  drawn  up  addressed  to  Mr.  Davenport  by 
the  ministers  of  the  Presbytery.  But  this  negotiation 
was  not  successful.  Finally,  under  appointment  of 
Presbytery,  the  Rev.  David  Cowell,  of  Trenton,  met 
the  Hopewell  people,  and  drew  up  the  following  call,  to 
wit : 

Hopewell,  August  15,  1739. 
To  Mr.  John  Guild  : 

Sir  : — We  inhabitants  in  and  near  Hopewell,  being  sensible  that  the 
Gospel  ministry  is  the  ordinary  means  by  which  the  glorious  Head  of 
the  Church  carries  on  the  interest  of  his  kingdom  in  this  world,  and  the 
necessity  we  -are  under  in  point  of  duty  and  the  present  situation  of  our 
affairs  to  have  a  gospel  minister  settled  amongst  us. 

We  having  had  Satisfactory  Experience  of  your  Ministerial  Abilities 
and  Christian  Deportment  during  your  abode  with  us,  which  is  almost 
two  years,  do  Call  and  invite  you  to  be  our  settled  Pastor,  Promising 
subjection  to  you  as  our  Minister  in  the  Lord. 

And  forasmuch  as  those  who  minister  in  holy  things  are  partakers  of 
the  Altar,  and  it  is  by  the  King  of  the  Church  ordained  that  those  who 
preach  the  Gospel  should  live  of  the  Gospel,  we  do  therefore  Covenant 
and  Promise  to  communicate  to  you  of  our  worldly  Substance  according 
to  our  Ability  for  your  comfortable  subsistence  among  us  while  you  re- 
main our  minister. 


Nathaniel  Heart, 
Edward  Burrowes, 
Thomas  Burrowes,  Jr., 
Stephen  Burrowes, 
Eden  Burrowes, 
John  Burrowes, 
Joseph  Disbrow, 
John  Titus, 
Nicolas  Roberts, 
Jeremiah  Burroughs, 
Andrew  Smith, 
Ralph  Smith, 
Philip  Palmer." 


Thomas  Burrowes, 
Ralph  Hunt, 
Thomas  Baldwin, 
Ralph  Hunt, 
Henry  Woolsey, 
Edward  Hart, 
Ephraim  Titus, 
George  Woolsey, 
Benj.  Temple, 
Edward  Hunt, 
William  Reed. 


Mr.  Guild  wisely  judged  it  best  not  to  declare  his 
acceptance  immediately,  on  account  of  the  excitement 


.  58 

kept  up  by  the  array  of  the  contending  parties  against 
each  other.  But  finally,  on  the  8th  day  of  October, 
1741,  arrangements  were  made  for  his  ordination,  which 
took  place  agreeably  to  appointment,  November  11th, 
1741.  Mr  Guild  delivered  his  trial  sermon  from  John 
xiv.  6,  in  the  presence  of  the  Rev.  Messrs.  David 
Evans,  Robert  Cross,  David  Cowell  and  Jedediah  An- 
drews. The  ordination  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev. 
David  Evans,  from  John  xii.  42,  after  which  Mr.  Guild 
"  was  by  fasting,  prayer  and  imposition  of  the  hands  of 
the  Presbytery,  solemnly,  in  the  public  meeting-house 
at  Hopewell,  ordained,  and  set  apart  to  the  sacred  min- 
isterial work." 

Mr.  Guild  gave  one-fourth  of  his  time  to  the  Maiden- 
head church  at  least  as  late  as  1769,  when  the  major 
part  of  the  New  Side  party  (who  had  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century  worshiped  in  the  church  that  stood 
from  1742  to  1826  in  the  graveyard,  one  mile  west 
from  Pennington)  returned  to  the  old  church.  In  the 
Minutes  of  the  New  Brunswick  Presbytery  for  April 
18,  1769,  the  tabular  statement  puts  Mr.  Guild's  name 
over  against  Hopewell;  and  Maidenhead  is  included 
among  the  vacant  churches.  Mr.  Guild's  relation  to  the 
Maidenhead  church  was  never  formally  constituted,  and 
no  action  taken  in  reference  to  the  cessation  of  his  labors. 

It  was  under  Mr.  Guild's  ministry  that  the  second 
church  edifice  for  the  Hopewell  people  was  built.  It 
was  commenced  in  1765,  and  completed  in  1766.  The 
dedication  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  William 
Kirkpatrick.  (The  Maidenhead  people  had  already  fin- 
ished in  1765  a  new  church  about  one-half  the  size  of 
the  one  projected  in  Pennington.)  It  was  placed  sixteen 
feet  further  south  than  the  frame  church.     The  pulpit, 


59 

shaped  like  a  wine-glass,  and  with  sounding  board  above, 
stood  on  the  north  side,  between  two  large  windows. 
The  doors  were  on  the  opposite,  or  south  side,  opening 
into  the  churchyard ;  and  there  was  a  steeple  surmount- 
ing the  eastern  end.  It  was  built  very  substantially  of 
brick.  The  aisles  were  paved  with  square  brick  ;  a  few 
of  which  yet  remain,  having  been  used  for  paving  the 
south  end  of  the  side  walk  along  the  graveyard  wall. 
There  were  four  men  who  gave  one  hundred  pounds 
each,  viz. :  Reuben  Armitage,  Ralph  Hart,  Edward 
Hunt  and  John  Welling ;  and  Reuben  Armitage  gave 
five  pounds  extra  for  the  privilege  of  occupying  a  spe- 
cified seat.  The  names  of  only  thirty-four  other  con- 
tributors have  come  down  to  us.  A  bell  (the  first  ever 
heard  in  this  village)  was  presented  by  the  young  men, 
John  Muirheid  and  Jonathan  Bunn  taking  an  active 
part  in  its  purchase.  Mr.  Moore  Furman,  of  Trenton, 
gave  the  communion  table,  the  marble  slab  of  which 
was  broken  into  two  parts  by  a  British  soldier,  when 
the  British  occupied  the  church,  about  a  hundred  years 
ago.  The  silk  damask  cushion  for  the  pulpit  was  the 
gift  of  Charles  Cox,  Esq.,  of  Kingwood,  Hunterdon 
county.  The  Building  Committee  were  Noah  Hunt, 
Edward  Hunt,  and  Jeremiah  Woolsey.  As  Mr.  Wool- 
sey  was  then  building  a  commodious  brick  house  for 
himself  (which  has  sheltered  the  family  for  one  hundred 
and  ten  years,  in  at  least  five  generations),  he  might  be 
supposed  to  have  some  qualifications  as  a  member  of  a 
church  building  committee.  William  Worth,  of  Law- 
rence, was  the  chief  mason,  and  Alexander  Biles  and 
Josiah  Beakes  the  carpenters. 

The  following   paper   shows  who  were   the  leading 
supporters  of  this  church  in  1769  : 


60 


We  the  subscribers  hereunto  do  Promise  and  Oblige  ourselves  to  pay 
to  Samuel  Moore  and  Jeremiah  Woolsey  (or  to  either  of  them),  both  of 
Hopewell,  in  the  County  of  Hunterdon,  and  Western  Division  of  the 
Province  of  New  Jersey,  the  sums  of  money  as  against  our  names  affixed, 
on  or  before  the  first  day  of  December  next  ensuing  the  date  hereof; 
the  said  sum  or  sums  of  Moneys  being  for  the  use  and  propriety  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  John  Guild  as  his  Stipend  or  Sallery  for  Preaehing  and  attend- 
ing on  the  Service  of  God,  three  Fourths  of  his  time  as  heretofore  has 
been  usual  and  Customary  at  the  Meeting-house  in  Pennington.  Given 
under  our  Hands,  and  dated  this  twelfth  day  of  December,  in  the  Year 
of  our  Lord  One  thousand  Seven  hundred  and  Sixty-nine. 


(Name  and  amount  torn  off.) 

£  s. 

J. 

Ralph  Hart. 

Stephen  Burrowes,  Jr., 

10 

£  s. 

d. 

Wm.  Campbell, 

10 

Joseph  Moore, 

15 

George  Huss, 

10 

David  Adair, 

10 

Theophilus  Moore, 

7 

6 

Amos  Moore, 

10 

Joseph  Baldwin, 

10 

John  Moore, 

7 

6 

Thomas  Baldwin, 

10 

Joseph  Hart, 

1    5 

Robert  Combes, 

1 

John  Welling,  Jr., 

1 

Henry  Baker, 

10 

Theo's  Bainbridge, 

1 

Noah  Hart, 

15 

Miss  Ringoe, 

10 

Amos  Hart, 

10 

Nathaniel  Moore, 

15 

Matthias  Baker, 

1 

John  Carpenter, 

15 

Jacob  Ashton, 

10 

Timothy  Hunt, 

10 

Joseph  Vankirk, 

5 

Moore  Scott, 

7 

6 

Reuben  Armitage, 

1    4 

Foster  Burrowes, 

15 

John  Hart, 

15 

Henry  Mershon, 

10 

(Name  torn  out), 

15 

Jeremiah  Woolsey, 

1  10 

Richard  Hart, 

15 

Ralph  Hart, 

Martha  Lanning, 

5 

Nathan  Moore, 

3 

John  Temple, 

10 

Stephen  Burrowes, 

1  10 

Nathaniel  Reed, 

15 

Andrew  Muirheid, 

1    5 

Philip  Roberts, 

7 

6 

Asa'h  Hunt, 

1 

Samuel  Hart, 

7 

6 

Wm.  Bryant, 

7 

6 

Gershom  Moore, 

8 

William  Burk, 

2 

6 

Naomy  Reed, 

< 

6 

Andrew  Hoff, 

7 

6 

Noah  Hunt, 

1 

Edward  Cornell, 

15 

Samuel  Titus, 

1 

Benjamin  Titus, 

5 

Nathan  Hunt, 

15 

John  Ketcham, 

1  16 

Edmund  Herin, 

5 

Edward  Hunt,  Sr., 

1 

John  Baker, 

7 

6 

Ephraim  Titus, 

1 

Thomas  Houghton, 

15 

Job  Burrowes, 

15 

Lott, 

15 

61 

£  s.  d.  £  s.  cl. 


William  Cornell, 

15 

Robert  Laning, 

10 

Josiah  Hart, 

15 

Ralph  Laning, 

15 

Timothy  Smith, 

10 

John  Titus,  (am't  torn  off.' 

1 

Simeon  Phillips, 

10 

Benjamin  Cornell,         " 

Seth  Field, 

10 

Joshua  Bunn, 

10 

Daniel  Howell, 

10 

James  Hunt, 

7 

6 

John  Akers, 

1 

Catharine  Christopher, 

7 

6 

Joseph  Titus, 

1 

Thomas  Blackwell, 

5 

Edward  Hunt, 

1 

Joseph  Burrowes, 

1 

John  Hunt, 

1 

Job  Sayer, 

10 

This  township  entered  with  patriotic  and  self-sacri- 
ficing spirit  upon  the  work  of  maintaining  the  liberties 
of  the  country  in  1776.  Three  companies  of  men  were 
raised,  of  which  the  names  of  officers  and  men  are  here 
recorded.  They  were  revolutionary  soldiers  worthy  of 
a  lasting  record. 

I.  Company.  Captain,  Henry  Phillips,  of  Hopewell. 

1st  Lieut.,  Nathaniel  Hunt. 

2d  Lieut.,  Daniel  Howell. 

Ensign,  Timothy  Titus. 
John  Hunt,  Innkeeper,  Pennington  ;  Levi  Hart,  William  Larrison, 
Roger  Larrison,  Daniel  Campbell,  Zebulon  Burrowes,  Elias  Golden, 
John  Field,  Jacob  Moore,  John  Muirheid,  Jonathan  Muirheid,  George 
Muirheid,  William  Moore,  Nathaniel  Hart,  Titus  Hart,  Godfrey  Cham- 
berlain, Noah  Charuberbain,  Henry  Burrowes,  Joseph  Smith  (Tim's  son), 
Andrew  Smith  (Tims),  John  Cornell,  Samuel  Ege,  Jacob  Ege,  Joseph 
Smith  (Jonathan's),  Jonathan  Smith,  Andrew  Hoff,  Jacob  Hoff,  Abra- 
ham Golden,  Jonathan  Bunn,  Col.  John  Vancleve,  Ezekiel  Rose,  Moore 
Scott,  William  Muirheid,  Levi  Atchley,  Jonathan  Stout,  Andrew  Stout, 
John  Knowles,  Anthony  Burrowes,  Uriel  Titus  (camp  fever),  Peter  Lott, 
Wm.  Smith,  Edmund  Phillips,  Andrew  Phillips,  Lott  Phillips,  Thomas 
Atchley. 

Ilnd  Company.  Captain.  Joab  Houghton.       -\ 
1st  Lieut.,  Ralph  Guild.  ( 

2d  Lieut.,  William  Parkes.      f  0™rk™ok. 
Ensign,  Timothy  Brush.         J 
John  Herin,  Gershom  Herin,  Wm.  Stout,  Francis  Vanney,  John  Van- 
ney,  Samuel  Stout  (weaver),  James  Hunt,  William  Jewell,  Jesse  Stout, 
Andrew  Morgan,  Benjamin  Morgan,   Thomas  Yates,  Jacob  Blackwell, 


62 

Andrew  Blackwell,  Benjamin  Blackwell,  William  Golden,  David  Hunt, 
Johnson  Titus,  Solomon  Titus,  Enoch  Armitage,  John  Vankirk,  Josiah 
Vankirk,  John  Hunt  (Nathan's  son),  Stephen  Hunt. 

Hid  Company.    Captain,  John  Hunt. 

1st  Lieut.,  Ralph  Lanning. 
2d  Lieut.,  Henry  Merson. 
Ensign,  Stephen  Burrowes. 

William  Bainbridge,  John  Bainbridge,  Ralph  Hunt  (son  of  Edward, 
died  in  the  prison-ship),  Elijah  Moore,  Amos  Lanning,  William  Moore, 
John  Temple,  Nathaniel  Temple,  Ephraim  Woolsey,  Joseph  Inslee, 
Timothy  Mershon,  Philip  Hart,  Abner  Hart,  Edmund  Roberts,  Jesse 
Moore,  Edward  A.tchley,  Levi  Ketcham,  Ely  Moore,  Moses  Moore,  Sam- 
uel Beakes,  William  Baker,  Joseph  Burroughs  (camp  fever),  James 
Burrowes  (river  road). 

George  Muirheid  (aged  17),  Uriel  Titus,  John  Stevenson,  and  John 
Taylor,  went  to  Elizabethtown  during  the  war,  on  service  alone.  Col. 
Seeley  was  in  command,  refused  them  pay  and  rations,  but  finally  at- 
tached them  to  Capt.  Updike's  company.  They  served  out  for  their 
month  in  twenty  days,  and  were  honorably  discharged.  Deacon  James 
Hunt  was  a  brave  soldier,  killed  a  British  soldier  half  a  mile  west  of 
Pennington,  in  1776.  Benjamin  Mershon  saw  a  British  soldier  enter 
Thomas  Burrowes'  house,  and  having  laid  his  gun  by  the  fence,  followed 
him  in  and  took  the  soldier's  gun  from  him,  and  took  him  prisoner.  On 
the  morning  of  December  26th,  1776,  John  Muirheid,  John  Guild,  and 
David  Lanning,  escorted  Gen.  Washington  and  his  army  from  the  Eight 
mile  ferry  to  the  north  end  of  Trenton. 

By  the  reunion  of  the  Old  Side  and  New  Side  divi- 
sions of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Mr.  Guild  and  Mr. 
Cowell  were  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick.  At  a  meeting  in  Ainwell,  June  13,  1758, 
the  Rev.  John  Guild  was  present  and  took  his  seat  as 
a  member  of  the  Presbytery. 

Mr.  Guild  married  Charity,  the  daughter  of  the  Ralph 
Hunt  who  occupied  a  farm  on  the  north  side  of  Stony 
Brook  and  south  of  Mount  Rose.  Nathan  Hunt,  for 
many  years  a.  ruling  elder  in  the  Pennington  Church, 
was  her  brother.  He  was  blessed  with  a  family  of 
three  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom  lived  to  be 


63 

more  than  fifty,  and  their  average  age  at  death  exceeded 
sixty-seven  years.  Five  of  the  daughters  married  and 
settled  in  this  township,  and  the  sixth  daughter  married 
and  settled  near  at  hand  in  Trenton,  now  Ewing.  Thirty, 
four  of  Mr.  Guild's  descendants  by  blood  are  to-day  in 
the  communion  of  this  church.  How  large  a  number — 
children,  grandchildren,  great  grandchildren,  and  even 
one  further  removed — have  publicly  professed  the  faith 
of  their  honored  ancestor  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
cannot  be  stated  accurately.  They  would,  if  gathered 
from  both  worlds,  make  a  respectable  assembly.  For 
one  hundred  years  Mr.  Guild  has  not  been  without  a 
representative  from  those  of  his  own  children  and  de- 
scendants on  the  communion  roll  of  this  church.  He 
knew  how  to  rule  his  own  house,  and  he  knew  how  to 
take  care  of  the  Church  of  God. 

He  passed  through  scenes  of  great  public  trial.  When 
he  came  hither,  many  of  the  tenants  of  the  soil  had  not 
extinguished  the  claim  on  their  new  homes.  Just  at 
the  time  he  was  licensed  there  came  on  this  congrega- 
tion, with  terrible  effect,  almost  the  first  stroke  of  that 
shock  which  rent  asunder  the  whole  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  had  his  share  in  the  alarms  caused  by  the  French 
and  Indian  war ;  and  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  which 
followed  the  memorable  Declaration  of  Independence  of 
July  4,  1776,  he  was  hated  as  a  true  patriot.  He  was 
obliged  to  escape,  in  company  with  his  children,  and  to 
take  refuge  for  several  weeks  with  a  family  of  the  name 
of  Slack  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  while  the 
enemy  were  ranging  through  the  forests  and  fields  and 
keeping  possession  of  the  church.  His  house  was 
entered  by  British  soldiers,  his  papers  destroyed,  and 
his  books  torn  in  pieces.     The  church  in  which  he  was 


64 

accustomed  to  preach  was  used  by  the  soldiers  of  the 
invader  for  barracks,  the  seats  hacked  in  pieces  cutting 
up  meat,  and  the  sacrilege  completed  by  breaking  the 
top  of  the  communion  table  by  a  heavy  blow  with  a 
British  firelock;  and  some  of  his  people  were  called 
from  their  homes,  putting  their  lives  in  jeopardy  for  the 
preservation  of  the  rights,  liberties  and  life  of  the  nation. 

Of  all  the  trials  to  which  he  was  subjected,  nothing 
was  more  painful  than  the  alienation  of  Christian  breth- 
ren who  ought  to  have  been  one  in  Christ.  Much  of 
his  time,  for  more  than  twenty  years,  was  given  to  the 
healing  of  breaches.  For  this  his  self-control,  his  sound 
judgment,  his  singleness  of  heart,  his  meekness,  his 
patience,  his  steadfastness  and  his  calm  moral  courage, 
admirably  qualified  him.  Three  of  his  sermons  now 
lying  before  me  are  from  the  texts,  "  Be  not  ye  called 
Rabbi."  "  Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit 
the  earth."  "  Blessed  are  the  merciful,  for  they  shall 
obtain  mercy."  The  principles  which  underlie  these 
passages  pervaded  his  heart  and  gave  character  to  his 
ministry.  For  almost  fifty  years  he  stood  firmly  at  his 
post,  and  approved  himself  unto  God  and  man  as  "a 
workman  that  needed  not  to  be  ashamed."  He  laid  the 
foundations  here  well.  The  influence  of  his  ministry  in 
moulding  the  character  of  this  peoj)le  as  a  peaceful  and 
harmonious  community  is  felt  to  this  day.  Through 
the  power  of  the  Hoiy  Ghost,  may  it  abide  to  the  latest 
generation. 

He  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry.  Thirty  times  within  twenty-six  years  he 
occupied  the  Moderator's  chair.  As  he  was  a  neat 
penman  he  was  often  called  to  be  clerk  of  the  body; 
and  on  account  of  his  wisdom  in  deliberation  he  was 


65 

appointed  on  committees,  where  skill,  impartiality,  pru- 
dence and  fidelity  were  required. 

Mr.  Guild  dwelt  on  the  parsonage  farm,  on  the  Scotch 
Road,  during  the  larger  part  of  his  ministry,  but  spent 
the  latter  portion  of  his  life  on  the  farm  where  his  wife 
was  born,  once  the  home  of  his  father-in-law,  Ralph 
Hunt,  where  he  died,  July  10,  1787.  Mrs.  Guild  died 
in  the  year  1766. 

Owing  to  his  increasing  infirmities,  and  especially  a 
cancer  on  his  lip,  which  impeded  his  utterance,  he  ap- 
plied for  a  dissolution  of  his  pastoral  relation,  which 
request  was  granted  by  the  Presbytery  at  a  meeting 
held  in  Baskingridge,  April  26,  1785.  His  last  appear- 
ance in  public  was  at  the  funeral  of  his  faithful  friend 
Ralph  Hart,  father  of  the  late  Mrs.  Mary  Smith.  He 
lingered,  after  being  released  from  his  charge,  a  little 
more  than  two  years.  His  funeral  sermon  was  preached 
by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith,  D.D.,  President 
of  the  College  of  New  Jersey.  He  was  buried  beneath 
the  brick  church,  then  standing,  under  the  chancel  in 
front  of  the  pulpit.  The  taking  down  of  the  church  leaves 
the  marble  slab  which  covers  his  grave  exposed  to  public 
view.  The  epitaph  on  that  stone  was  composed  by  the 
Rev.  John  Woodhull,  D.D.,  of  Freehold,  and  is  as  follows : 

IN    MEMORY    OF    THE 

REV.  JOHN  GUILD, 

Pastor  of  this  congregation  47  years, 
who  departed  this  life 
July  10,  1787, 
Aged  75  years. 
In  yonder  sacred  desk 
I  spent  my  painful  breath 
In  warning  sinners  of  eternal  death. 
Now  dust  and  ashes  I 
From  this  cold  marble  cry, 
Sinners  be  warned  and  to  the  Saviour  fly. 


66 
Mrs.  Guild's  we  add  : 

IN    3IEM0RT    OF 

CHARITY,  the  Wife  of 

the  Rev.  John  Guild, 

who  departed  this  life 

February  16,  1766, 

Aged  44  years. 

V.  Rev.  Joseph  Rue,  the  fifth  pastor,  was  the  son  of 
Joseph  and  Sarah  Rue,  born  June  19th,  1751,  in  Free- 
hold, New  Jersey.  His  paternal  ancestor  (La  Rue 
being  the  original  name)  was  one  of  the  Huguenots  who 
fled  from  France  at  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of 
Nantes. 

He  prosecuted  for  a  time  the  trade  of  shoemaking, 
but  an  accident,  by  which  he  lost  his  right  arm,  was  the 
providential  event  which  led  him  to  form  the  purpose 
of  entering  the  Christian  ministry.  The  pastor  of  his 
childhood  and  youth  was  the  celebrated  Rev.  William 
Tennent,  for  whom  he  had  a  warm  affection.  He  gradu- 
ated at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  the  autumn  of 
1776,  and  commenced  his  theological  studies  with  his 
old  pastor.  Mr.  Tennent  died  in  1777,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1779  by  the  Rev.  John  Woodhull,  D.D.,  with 
whom  Mr.  Rue  completed  his  preparation  for  the  min- 
istry. At  Baskingridge,  October  17,  1778,  he  was 
taken  under  the  care  of  Presbytery  as  a  candidate,  and 
was  licensed  as  a  probationer  for  the  gospel  ministry 
at  Allentown,  July  25,  1781.  After  this  he  continued 
preaching  in  various  places  in  the  Presbytery  until 
April,  1783,  when  the  people  of  Shrewsbury  asked  for 
his  services  as  a  stated  supply.  Here  he  labored  until 
April,  1784,  when  the  congregation  of  Shrewsbury  and 
Shark  River  proposed  to  make  out  a  call  for  him  to  be 


G7 

their  pastor.  On  the  15th  of  June,  1784,  having 
preached,  at  Pennington,  a  trial  sermon  from  Hebrews 
xi.  1,  he  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist.  Mr.  Joseph 
Clark  was  then  also  ordained.  At  the  same  time  a  call 
from  Shrewsbury  and  Shark  River  was  put  into  his 
hands,  which  he  took  into  consideration.  This  call  he 
did  not  accept.  When  the  Presbytery  met  at  Basking- 
ridge  April  26, 1785,  Mr.  Guild's  relation  to  the  church 
at  Pennington  was  dissolved,  and  a  call  was  laid  before  the 
Presbytery  for  the  pastoral  services  of  Mr.  Rue.  This 
he  took  into  consideration;  and  in  the  mean  time  the 
Presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  at  Pennington  on  the 
18th  of  October.  The  record  of  that  meeting  has  been 
lost,  but  there  is  documentary  evidence  that  the  Pres- 
bytery did  hold  its  sessions  on  the  18th  and  19th  of 
October,  and  doubtless  Mr.  Rue  was  duly  installed  on 
the  19th  of  October,  1785.  Four  years  after  this,  April 
28,  1789,  the  Trenton  1st  Church  gave  Mr.  Rue  a  call 
for  one-fourth  of  his  time  for  one  year.  At  Presbytery 
in  Pennington,  September  20,  1791,  they  renewed  the 
application  for  one-fourth  of  his  time  for  three  years. 
On  the  7th  of  April,  1800,  the  Trenton  1st  Church  ap- 
plied for  one-third  of  Mr.  Rue's  time,  which  request  was 
granted.  This  arrangement  continued  until  1821.  On 
the  24th  of  April,  Mr.  Rue  asked  to  be  released  from 
his  charge  of  Trenton  1st  Church,  which  was  granted  at 
a  subsequent  meeting,  July  25,  1821.  From  this  date, 
Mr.  Rue  gave  the  whole  of  his  time  to  the  Pennington 
congregation  until  his  death,  which  took  place  April  15, 
1826.  He  left  behind  him  a  widow  (Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Liscomb),  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  The 
sons,  Thomas  and  Joseph,  removed  to  Ohio.  Joseph 
only  is  now  living.     The  widow  and  daughters  remained 


GS 

in  connection  with  this  church  to  the  close  of  life,  and 
their  dust  lies  in  this  churchyard,  by  the  side  of  the  ven- 
erated husband  and  father. 

There  is  no  record  of  any  large  ingathering  during  the 
early  part  of  his  ministry,  but  in  the  records  of  the 
Presbytery  for  April  28,  1801,  there  is  this  minute : 

The  attending  ministei-s,  in  compliance  with  an  especial  rule  on  that 
subject,  severally  gave  into  the  Presbytery  a  verbal  account  of  the  state 
of  religion  in  their  respective  congregations,  which,  in  general,  exhibited 
a  favorable  state  of  true  piety.  In  some  of  the  congregations,  very  visi- 
ble and  pleasing  evidences  appeared  of  the  power  and  grace  of  Christ, 
especially  in  that  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Rue. 

In  a  circular  adopted  by  the  Presbytery,  September 
15, 1801,  and  printed  for  distribution  among  the  churches, 
it  is  said  : 

We  render  praise  and  thanksgiving  unto  God,  that  in  this  dark  day 
He  hath  not  forsaken  you,  but  hath  in  some  places  shed  down  His  influ- 
ences in  a  plentiful  manner,  and  made  a  preached  gospel  mighty  for 
convincing  and  converting  sinners,  and  pulling  down  the  strongholds  of 
Satan. 

The  tabular  statement  printed  with  this  pastoral  letter 
shows  that  the  number  of  communicants  in  the  two 
churches  served  by  Mr.  Rue  had  increased  within  one 
year  from  sixty-eight  to  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight. 
That  this  work  did  not  soon  cease,  is  manifest  from  the 
records  of  the  meeting  held  in  Princeton  April  26,  1803, 
where  it  is  written  : 

The  Presbytery  were  exceedingly  comforted  by  learning  that  in  seve- 
ral congregations  under  their  care,  particularly  the  Pennington  and 
Trenton  1st  Churches,  Baskingridge,  Amwell  2d  Church,  and  Kingston, 
very  considerable  revivals  of  religion  had  taken  place,  that  the  Lord  ap- 
peared to  be  pouring  out  His  spirit  to  the  awakening  and  consolation  of 
many  souls  in  those  places,  and  not  a  few,  within  a  short  time,  had  been 
added  to  the  church. 

It  pleased  God  to  grant  to  His  servant  special  tokens 
of  His  favor  in  the  evening  of  his  days.     After  he  was 


G9 

released  from  the  charge  of  Trenton  1st  Church,  the 
Pennington  Church  was  twice  blessed  with  gracious  vis- 
itations, in  1821  adding  twenty,  and  in  1823  adding 
twenty-eight  to  the  number  of  communicants.  The  re- 
cords of  the  Presbytery  show  that  during  the  twenty-five 
years  of  Mr.  Rue's  ministry,  from  1801  to  1826,  there 
had  been  accessions  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  to  the 
communion  roll  by  profession. 

The  last  Sabbath  on  which  Mr.  Rue  preached  was 
made  impressive  by  an  unexpected  circumstance.  The 
oldest  son  of  parents  at  whose  marriage  Mr.  Rue  had 
officiated  some  five  years  before,  was  presented  for  bap- 
tism. The  baptismal  service  was  begun,  but  when  the 
words  of  the  institution  were  reached,  Mr.  Rue's  mem- 
ory utterly  failed  him;  he  could  not  repeat  the  form, 
and  with  weeping  eyes  and  deep  emotion  he  withdrew, 
and  left  the  service  incomplete.  More  than  forty  years 
afterwards,  and  while  that  faithful  mother  was  still 
living,  it  was  my  privilege  to  finish  the  rite  so  long  ago 
commenced,  and  to  receive  this  friend  and  brother  into 
the  fellowship  of  this  church. 

The  kindness  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick 
in  sending  ministers  to  supply  Mr.  Rue's  pulpit  gratui- 
tously for  about  two  years  after  disability,  both  mental 
and  bodily,  had  laid  him  aside,  and  in  like  manner  for 
six  months  after  his  death,  that  the  salary  might  inure 
to  the  benefit  of  the  afflicted  family,  is  worthy  of  spe- 
cial note.  The  benevolent  actors  have  gone  up  to  their 
reward,  with  but  one  or  two  exceptions.  This  Presby- 
tery met  Mr.  Rue's  expenses  at  the  College  of  New 
Jersey,  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry,  and  well  did  he 
repay  this  small  expenditure  by  his  long,  faithful,  earnest 
and  successful  ministry. 


70 

The  Rev.  David  Comfort,  of  Kingston,  who  preached 
(from  Rev.  xiv.  13)  a  sermon  on  the  occasion  of  his 
funeral,  states  : 

Mr.  Rue  labored  long  without  seeing  much  fruit.  The  discourage- 
ments against  which  he  had  to  struggle  became  so  great,  that  he  used  to 
plead  with  his  Heavenly  Father  to  remove  him  from  his  charge  by  death 
or  otherwise  as  He  in  infinite  wisdom  saw  fit,  that  he  might  not  stand  in 
the  way,  as  he  supposed,  of  some  more  favored  and  successful  minister  of 
the  gospel.  God  answered  his  request  in  a  way  calculated  to  advance 
His  own  glory,  and  satisfy  the  enlarged  desires  of  His  devoted  servant. 
The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  down  upon  this  people  like  showers  upon 
the  mown  grass,  and  a  glorious  harvest  was  gathered  into  the  granary 
of  the  Lord. 

In  a  few  other  paragraphs,  having  borne  testimony  to 
Mr.  Rue's  fidelity,  he  spreads  before  us  the  closing 
scene  : 

Our  departed  father  was  not  only  a  faithful  pastor,  ready  in  season 
and  out  of  season  to  break  to  them  the  bread  of  life,  and  visit  from  house 
to  house  as  well  as  to  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  and  entreat,  but  he  was 
also  a  faithful  attendant  on  all  the  judicatories  of  the  church  which  re- 
quired his  presence. 

For  two  or  three  years  past,  his  bodily  powers  and  the  faculties  of  his 
mind  have  been  evidently  sinking,  though  in  that  time  he  occasionally 
performed  the  duties  of  his  office  to  general  satisfaction. 

Five  weeks  ago  there  was  a  marked  change,  since  which  his  strength 
has  declined.  The  hopes  of  his  friends  are  blighted,  and  he  is  removed  to 
the  possession  of  a  better  inheritance. 

For  a  few  weeks  during  his  illness,  a  dark  cloud  hung  over  him,  and 
obscured  the  prospect  of  eternity,  which  he  saw  evidently  just  before 
him.  He  could  not  therefore  enjoy  those  bright  evidences,  and  that  as- 
sured confidence  of  his  Saviour's  love,  which  are  so  desirable  in  the  im- 
mediate view  of  death.  But  the  remedy  was  at  hand.  He  who'had  been 
taught  of  God,  knew  where  to  look  and  how  to  apply  for  relief.  His 
trust  was  in  the  Saviour's  merits,  and  he  did  not  plead  in  vain.  Though 
he  was  often  heard  to  exclaim,  "  Lord, have  mercy  upon  me"  this  simple 
plea  prevailed.  His  prayer  was  heard,  and  that  mercy  which  he  asked 
for  was  obtained,  and  he  was  heard  in  the  triumphs  of  faith  to  say,  "  My 
fears  have  left  me,  I  now  go  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  and  rejoicing  in 
the  hope  and  the  immediate  prospect  of  eternal  blessedness  with  God  in 
heaven."  He  called  upon  all  around  him  to  praise  God  for  that  infinite 
mercy  which,  in  answer  to  prayer,  had  been  bestowed  upon  him  in  that 


71 

trying  moment.  And  thus  died  the  dear  departed  friend  whose  loss  we 
sensibly  deplore.  While  we  mourn  our  own  loss,  let  us  rejoice  in  his 
eternal  gain. 

Thus  ended  a  pastorate  among  this  people  of  forty- 
one  years,  and  a  life  of  nearly  seventy-five. 

On  the  memorial  stone  which  covers  his  remains,  is 
engraved  the  following  epitaph,  composed  by  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Miller,  D.D.,  of  Princeton,  N.  J. 

This  Marble 

Covers  the  mortal  remains 

of  the  Reverend 

JOSEPH   RUE, 

For  forty-one  years 

The  active  and  useful  Pastor 

of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 

Pennington,  New  Jersey. 

An  affectionate  Husband, 

A  kind  Parent,  a  firm  Partiot, 

And  as  a  Christian  Minister, 

Pious,  faithful, 

Successful  and  beloved. 

He  departed  this  life 

April  15,  1826, 

In  the  75th  year  of  his  age. 

The  inscription  on  Mrs.  Rue's  tombstone  is  : 

ELIZABETH  LISCOMB, 

Widow  of 

Rev.  Joseph  Rue. 

Was  born  September  5,  1760. 

Died  August  25,  1845. 

For  forty  years  she  adorned  the 

Christian  profession  by  a  holy  walk. 

An  affectionate  wife,  a  tender  parent,  a 

constant  friend,  devout,  hospitable, 

cheerful,  patient,  and  discreet,  she  was 

an  example  to  her  sex. 

"  The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed." 


72 


As  a  memorial  of  the  majority  of  communicants  in  the 
Pennington  Church  in  1806,  this  subscription  paper  is 
here  inserted  : 

We,  the  subscribers,  agree  to  pay  by  the  first  day  of  January  next,  the 
several  sums  annexed  to  our  names  into  the  hands  of  John  Muirheid, 
Treasurer,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  two  silver  cups  for  the  use  of 
the  Communion  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Hopewell. 


Sei 

'TEMBER    16,    1806. 

subscribers'  names. 

subscribers'  names. 

$  c. 

$    c. 

John  Smith, 

2 

Margaret  Hunt, 

50 

John  Muirheid, 

2 

Elizabeth  Sexton, 

50 

Charity  Muirheid, 

1 

Jesse  Christopher, 

75 

John  Hunt, 

50 

Mercy  Christopher, 

75 

Jane  Hunt, 

50 

Elizabeth  Titus, 

50 

Hannah  Hunt, 

50 

Hannah  Beakes, 

50 

Keziah  Hart, 

50 

Sarah  Cornell, 

1 

Elizabeth  Hunt, 

50 

Rebeckah  Fitch, 

50 

Philip  Hart, 

50 

Mary  Hunt, 

1 

Anna  Hart, 

50 

Rachel  Beakes, 

25 

Edmund  Roberts, 

50 

Elizabeth  Beakes, 

50 

Elizabeth  Roberts, 

50 

David  Baldwin, 

50 

John  McClellan, 

50 

Mary  Davison, 

50 

Letitia  McClellan, 

50 

Mary  Hart, 

50 

Elizabeth  McClellan, 

50 

Christian  Hofi", 

50 

Sarah  Phillips, 

50 

Daniel  G.  Howell 

50 

Sarah  Phillips, 

50 

Charlotte  Marsellis, 

50 

Elizabeth  Moore, 

50 

John  Carpenter, 

1  50 

Abigail  Smith, 

50 

Mary  Carpenter, 

50 

Rebekah  Smith, 

1 

Charles  Welling, 

1 

Keziah  Hoagland, 

50 

Hannah  Welling, 

50 

Peter  Phillips, 

50 

Isaac  Welling, 

1 

Mary  Phillips, 

50 

Stephen  Burrowes, 

1 

Rebeckah  Roberts, 

25 

Hannah  Burrowes, 

1 

Nathan  Christopher, 

50 

Mary  Woolsey, 

1 

Elizabeth  Christopher, 

50 

Anne  Woolsey, 

1 

John  Hart, 

50 

Susanna  Moore, 

50 

Mary  Hart, 

50 

Hannah  Howell, 

50 

Richard  Hart, 

50 

Elizabeth  Moore, 

50 

Elizabeth  Hart 

50 

Edmund  Burroughs, 

50 

Jane  Smith, 

1 

Susanna  Burroughs, 

50 

Polly  Smith, 

1 

Hannah  Hunt, 

50 

73 


SUBSCRIBERS  NAMES. 


SUBSCRIBERS  NAMES. 


Jacob  II off, 

1 

Elizabeth  Titus, 

50 

Enoch  Ketcham, 

50 

Achsah  Vankirk, 

50 

Matilda  Ketcham, 

50 

Ruth  Hunt, 

1 

Aaron  Hart, 

50 

Keziah  Lanning, 

50 

Mary  Scott, 

50 

Martha  Wright, 

37 

Mary  Bainbridge, 

50 

Foster  Walters, 

50 

Abigail  Bainbridge, 

50 

Mary  Mount, 

31 

Hannah  Bainbridge, 

50 

Abraham  Pettinger, 

50 

Elizabeth  Phillips, 

50 

Sarah  Savadge, 

25 

Sarah  Moore, 

50 

Margaret  Morgan, 

25 

Elijah  Hart, 

50 

Jeremiah  Vandike, 

50 

Rebekah  Hart, 

50 

Joab  Titus, 

50 

Amos  Lanning, 

50 

Elizabeth  Bryant, 

50 

Mary  Lanning, 

50 

Rebekah  Ketcham, 

50 

Daniel  Lanning, 

50 

Susanna  Phillips, 

50 

Margaret  Hart, 

.    50 

Stephen  Hunt, 

2 

Sarah  Gray, 

50 

Mary  Fish, 

25 

Joseph  Hart, 

50 

Martha  Baldwin, 

25 

Asher  R.  Hart, 

50 

Sarah  Moore, 

50 

Abigail  Hart, 

50 

Hannah  Jones, 

25 

Rebekah  Hart, 

50 

Catharine  Hunt, 

50 

Sarah  Home, 

50 

Solomon  Titus, 

75 

Daniel  Atchley, 
Elizabeth  Vancleve, 

50 
50 

113  names, 

$66  18 

Enos  Titus, 

50 

These  silver  cups  are  well  preserved,  and  are  used 
at  every  communion  service. 


VI.  The  Rev.  Benjamin  Ogden  was  the  sixth  pastor. 

He  was  a  son  of  John  Ogden  and  Abigail  Bennett. 
Born  in  Fairfield,  Cumberland  county,  New  Jersey,  Octo- 
ber 4,  1797,  he  graduated  at  the  College  of  New 
Jersey  in  1817,  and  was  one  of  the  subjects  of  that 
wonderful  work  of  grace,  under  Dr.  Green's  Presidency, 
which  gave  to  the  Church  such  men  as  Drs.  Charles 
Hodge,  David  Magie,  John  Maclean,  Ravaad  K.  Rod- 
gers,  and  Bishops  Mcllvaine  and  Johns.     He  prepared 


74 

for  the  ministry  at  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Princeton.  He  was  licensed  as 
as  a  probationer  by  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia 
April,  1821,  and  by  the  same  Presbytery  ordained 
June,  1822,  at  Bensalem,  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  where  he 
labored  as  a  missionary  for  one  and  a  half  years.  He 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Church  of  Lewistown, 
Delaware,  in  1823,  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle, 
where  he  remained  three  and  a  half  years.  In  the  mean- 
time the  Presbytery  of  Lewes  was  formed. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1826,  Mr.  Ogden  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Presbytery  of  Lewes  by  the  Presbytery 
of  New  Brunswick,  when  a  call  from  this  church  was 
placed  in  his  hands  and  accepted.  On  the  5th  of 
December,  1826,  he  was  installed  the  pastor  of  this 
church  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Dr.  Samuel  Miller, 
and  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Eli  F.  Cooley  and  George  S. 
Woodhull. 

In  this  field  Mr.  Ogden  did  not  labor  in  vain.  In  the 
summer  of  1833,  he  called  to  his  aid  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Deruelle,  who  began  by  preaching  a  series  of  sermons 
to  Christians  from  passages  in  the  fifty-first  Psalm.  The 
word  came  with  power.  The  hearts  of  believers  were 
melted,  backsliders  returned,  unceasing  prayer  was 
offered  mingled  with  praise,  and  sinners  were  brought 
to  repentance.  Although  it  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
harvest,  there  was  no  hindrance.  The  farmers  arose  to 
their  work  in  the  field  at  about  three  in  the  morning, 
and  closed  at  noon.  Having  dined,  they  arrived  at  the 
church  in  time  for  one  service  at  3  p.  m.,  and  another  at 
8  p.  m.,  the  intervening  hours  being  devoted  to  meetings 
for  prayer.  It  was  a  time  of  great  joy.  As  a  fruit  of 
this  work,  there  was  an  addition  to  the  communion  roll 


75 

of  forty-seven  persons.     Of  these,  only  two  or  three  are 
still  with  you. 

The  church  was  blessed  with  another  revival  in  the 
winter  of  1837-8.  It  is  well  described  in  an  article 
published  in  the  Presbyterian,  signed  N.  N.,  dated  Pen- 
nington, April  24th,  1838  : 

The  following  communication  relative  to  a  revival  of  religion  which 
occurred  during  the  winter  of  1837  and  1838,  on  many  accounts  extra- 
ordinary, it  is  thought  will  be  read  with  interest  in  future  time. 

"  I  was  one  of  the  numerous  assembly  that  thronged  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Pennington  on  Saturday  and  Sabbath,  the  15th  and  16th  insts., 
and  I  felt,  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  assembly,  that  it  was  good  to 
be  there.  This  church  then  received  an  addition  of  three  score  persons, 
fifty-eight  on  examination,  and  two  by  certificate.  Of  this  number  twen- 
ty-nine were  baptized  on  Saturday.  It  was  a  pleasing  spectacle.  Those 
who  witnessed  it  can  never  forget  it.  Amongst  the  number  was  an  aged 
man  who  had  been  in  the  world  nearly  three  score  and  ten  years,  and 
yet  had  only  just  begun  to  live  for  eternity.  He,  with  two  others,  one 
of  them  his  sister,  of  nearly  the  same  age,  had  gone  into  the  vineyard  at 
the  eleventh  hour.  In  this  display  of  divine  grace  it  seems  as  if  no  age 
or  class  of  people  has  been  passed  by.  The  youngest  of  the  number 
received  into  church  fellowship  was  eleven  years  of  age.  The  larger 
portion  consisted  of  those  who  had  reached  the  meridian  of  life.  Thirty- 
four  of  them  were  or  had  been  married.  Amongst  this  number  there 
were  nine  husbands  with  their  wives.  In  one  place  a  father  and  a  son, 
in  another  a  mother  and  a  daughter,  stood  side  by  side  when  the  sacra- 
ment of  baptism  was  administered.  There  a  husband  rejoiced  on  ac- 
count of  his  wife,  and  there  a  wife  on  her  husband's  account,  there  a 
brother  for  his  sister's  sake,  and  there  a  sister  for  her  brother's  sake, 
whilst  many  a  father  and  mother,  with  enraptured  hearts,  exclaimed 
concerning  a  son  or  a  daughter,  this  my  child  was  dead,  but  is  alive 
again,  was  lost,  but  now  is  found.  Indeed,  the  heart  of  the  whole  church 
seemed  to  overflow  with  wonder,  love  and  gratitude,  on  account  of  the 
salvation  they  had  witnessed  and  experienced.  The  discourse  delivered 
by  the  pastor  (the  Rev.  Benjamin  Ogden),  on  the  Sabbath,  was  from 
these  words,  '  by  grace  ye  are  saved,'1  and  in  speaking  of  the  revival  of 
religion  which  had  occurred,  he  remarked  :  '  We  are  compelled  to  refer 
it  all  entirely  to  the  grace  of  God.  We  cannot  say  to  other  congrega- 
tions, do  as  we  have  done,  and  you  will  have  a  revival  of  religion.  A 
similar  effort  would  not  follow  unless  God  should  take  occasion  there- 
from to  glorify  and  magnify  the  riches  of  His  grace.     Our  congregation, 


76 

when  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  first  manifested  themselves,  was 
like  Elijah's  altar  after  twelve  barrels  of  water  had  been  poured  upon 
it.  And  as  in  his  case  the  Heavenly  flame  not  only  consumed  the 
wood,  soaked  as  it  was  with  water,  but  laid  hold  of  the  stones  and  the 
dust,  and  turned  the  very  water  itself  into  fuel,  so  it  has  been  with  us. 
We  were  surprised ;  our  hearts  overflowed  with  love  and  gratitude,  and 
were  affected  with  a  deep  sense  of  our  unworthiness,  whilst  the  aston- 
ished world  looked  on  with  awe  and  reverence,  and  said,  the  Lord  hath 
done  great  things  for  them.  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad.' 

"  The  Lord  has  cleared  the  darkest  skies, 
Has  given  us  day  for  night ; 
Bade  drops  of  sacred  sorrow  rise 
To  rivers  of  delight." 

Our  meetings  have  during  the  past  winter  been  more  frequent  than 
usual ;  but  it  was  not  the  frequency  of  our  meetings  that  caused  the 
revival,  but  the  revival  the  spiritual  appetite  that  caused  the  meetings. 
It  was  not  so  much  we  that  got  up  the  revival,  as  the  revival  that  got  us 
up.  No  extraordinary  means  of  grace  have  been  used,  and  the  preached 
word  to  which  you  have  chiefly  listened  has  been  dispensed  by  your  pas- 
tor, and  it  has  been  similar  to  that  to  which  you  have  now  listened  for 
eleven  years  and  a-half ;  and  all  the  assistance  your  pastor  has  had  has 
been  from  ministerial  brethren  located  near  us.  But  the  day  of  God's 
almighty  power  came,  and  the  people  were,  in  consequence  thereof,  wil- 
ling. And  oh  !  it  has  been  a  season,  a  sweet,  refreshing  season,  such  as 
we  shall  never  forget.  Religion,  religion,  has  been  with  us,  since  the 
commencement  of  this  year,  the  only  interesting  topic  of  thought  and  con- 
versation. The  one  thing  needful,  blessed  be  God,  has-  arrested  and 
held  the  attention  of  this  community  to  the  exclusion  of  almost  every- 
thing else.  And  now,  seated  around  the  table  of  the  Lord,  we  may  say, 
'  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor,  and  evil  speaking, 
with  all  malice,  so  far  as  they  have  existed,  are  put  away,  and  we  are 
kind  one  to  another,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God 
for  Christ's  sake  has  forgiven  us.'  Nay,  if  there  be  in  this  large  assem- 
bly of  communicants  a  single  bosom  which  is  not  warm  with  love 
towards  each  and  every  other  person,  I  am  happily  ignorant  of  it."' 

The  Presbytery,  at  the  annual  meeting  on  the  last 
Tuesday  in  April,  took  notice  of  this  same  revival  in 
these  terms  : 

An  interesting  communication  of  renewing  and  reviving  grace  has 
been  experienced  by  the  church  in  Pennington  ;  the  more  remarkable,  as 
it  was  introduced  by  no  favorable  premonition,  but  on  the  contrary,  de- 


77 

scended  upon  the  people  in  the  very  moment  when  they  were  full  of 
apprehension  from  the  signs  of  a  brooding  storm.  God  himself  appeared 
to  come  down  into  the  midst  of  jarring  elements,  and  compose  them  to 
a  calm.  Though  the  year  had  begun  without  promise,  it  ended  with 
the  accession  of  fifty-eight  new  communicants;  and  this  enumeration,  it 
is  to  be  remarked,  includes  only  the  last  communion  season  of  the  year. 
The  earliest  decided  manifestations  of  religious  interest  took  place  in 
public  assemblies  ;  these  tokens  were  multiplied  during  pastoral  visita- 
tion, and  as  the  means  of  grace  were  furnished  with  greater  frequency 
in  correspondence  with  the  increased  demand  for  them,  the  public  relig- 
ious sentiment  increased  in  intensity  and  extent,  with  extraordinary 
rapidity, %ntil  the  whole  texture  of  society  was  imbued  with  its  pre- 
dominating solicitude.  The  exercises  of  those  who  were  hopefully  con- 
verted were  marked  by  strength  and  affection,  and  after  the  anguish  of 
great  humiliation  and  compunction,  there  was  usually  an  answerable 
serenity  and  joy  in  the  Lord.  The  difficulties  that  had  been  looked  for 
were  prevented ;  the  greatest  harmony  continues  to  prevail  ;  and  the 
duties  and  observances  of  the  church  are  rendered  with  zeal,  brotherly 
love  and  delight.  This  work  of  grace  may  be  characterized  as  having 
to  a  remarkable  degree  embraced  persons  in  middle  life  and  the  heads 
of  families. 

The  interior  of  the  church  edifice  of  1765-6  was  re- 
modeled in  the  summer  of  1830,  and  the  Avhole  plan 
changed.  The  brick  pavement  was  taken  out,  the 
height  of  the  ceiling  was  reduced  by  putting  in  a  false 
ceiling  below  the  original  one,  the  modern  slip  was 
adopted  instead  of  the  antique  pew ;  the  old  pulpit  with 
its  sounding-board  was  removed,  and  another  built  at  the 
west  end  of  the  building  between  the  two  entrance-doors. 

In  April,  1833,  the  plan  of  raising  the  pastor's  salary 
by  rents  on  the  pews  was  introduced.  The  method 
previously  resorted  to  was  an  annual  subscription.  In 
the  year  1834,  the  church  was  enlarged  by  the  addition 
of  eighteen  feet  to  the  west  end,  bringing  it  out  even 
with  the  street  side-walk.  And  on  the  5th  of  March, 
1834,  the  first  steps  were  taken  towards  erecting  a 
church  edifice  in  the  western  part  of  the  congregation,  at 
Titusville,  for  Sabbath  afternoon  services.     This  house. 


78 

built  of  stone,  was  finished  and  opened  for  worship  in  the 
summer  of  1839.  The  land  and  a  large  part  of  the  cost 
of  material  and  work  was  the  gift  of  Mr.  Joseph  Titus. 

The  whole  number  received  on  the  profession  of  their 
faith  under  Mr.  Ogden's  ministry  was  one  hundred  and 
eighty-six. 

On  the  completion  of  his  ministry  he  removed  to 
'Three  Rivers,  Michigan,  and  thence  to  Valparaiso,  In- 
diana, where  he  died  January  11, 1853.  He  was' married 
to  Emily  T.  Sansbury,  October  15,  1821.  There  were 
ten  children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom 
were  living  at  the  time  of  his  death.  One  daughter  is 
the  wife  of  the  Rev.  James  Greer,  and  another  of  the 
Rev.  J.  G.  Reiheldaffer,  D.D.  One  son,  Thomas  Spen- 
cer, entered  the  ministry.  Born  at  Pennington,  January 
9,  1832,  and  baptized  in  the  May  following,  he  was 
licensed  as  a  probationer  by  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick,  and  was  ordained  by  the  same  Presbytery  in 
the  Millstone  Presbyterian  Church,  Monmouth  county, 
N.  J.,  August  29,  1857. 

After  having  been  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Phoebe 
Elizabeth  Combs,  he  set  sail  for  Corisco,  Western  Africa, 
October  5,  1857,  where,  after  a  faithful  service  of  three 
years  as  a  missionary,  he  died  and  was  buried.  His 
widow  and  infant  child  returned  to  this  country. 

VII.  The  seventh  pastor,  the  Rev.  George  Hale,  D.D., 
was  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  a  graduate  of  Wil- 
liams College,  1831,  and  of  Princeton  Theological  Semi- 
nary, 1838.  The  call  to  this  pastoral  charge  was  signed 
by  the  ruling  elders  and  trustees,  all  of  whom  are  now 
dead.  The  elders  were  Aaron  Hart,  Charles  Welling, 
Isaac  Welling,  Joseph  Titus,  Joab  Titus,  Enos  Titus, 


79 

Edmund  Roberts,  Theophilus  Furman,  Enoch  Ketcham, 
Nathaniel  R.  Titus  and  John  Hoff.  The  trustees  were 
Joseph  Titus,  Aaron  Hart,  James  Stevenson,  Charles 
Welling,  Garret  J.  Schenck,  Andrew  Titus,  and  C.  L.  Wyn- 
koop.  At  the  meeting  of  the  congregation,  Wednesday, 
January  2, 1839,  the  Rev.  Hugh  Hamill  presided,  when 
the  election  took  place  and  the  call  was  signed.  A  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  James  Stevenson.  Esq.,  and  George 
Muirheid,  Esq.,  was  appointed  to  wait  on  the  pastor  elect 
and  to  inform  him  of  the  action  of  the  congregation,  which 
duty  they  discharged  promptly  and  most  cordially. 

In  reviewing  this  pastorate,  which  continued  a  little 
more  than  thirty  years,  to  March  7,  1869,  the  winter 
of  1841-2  presents  itself  as  a  season  worthy  of  a  grate- 
ful memorial  of  the  rich  spiritual  blessings  bestowed  on 
this  people.  The  Spirit  of  God  had  begun  to  move  on 
some  hearts  as  early  as  the  former  part  of  November, 
but  this  fact  was  not  revealed  until  afterwards.  Through 
the  third  week  in  December  there  was  preaching  daily, 
with  much  prayer;  but  Satan  was  struggling  for  the 
mastery,  and  it  seemed  for  a  time  doubtful  which  side 
would  be  victorious.  At  this  solemn  crisis,  Tuesday, 
the  28th  of  December,  was  set  apart  as  a  day  of  humili- 
ation, fasting  and  prayer.  The  members  of  the  church 
appeared  early  at  the  sanctuary.  Two  sermons  were 
preached  in  the  morning  from  the  same  text — Romans 
xiii.  11 — ."And  that,  knowing  the  time,  that  now  it  is 
high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep  :  for  now  is  our  salva- 
tion nearer  than  when  we  believed."  The  first  sermon 
was  addressed  to  professors  of  religion  by  the  Rev. 
Henry  Heermance,  and  the  second  by  the  Rev.  P.  0. 
Studdiford,  D.D.,  to  the  impenitent.  The  whole  after- 
noon was  devoted  to  fervent  prayer.    There  was  earnest 


80 

pleading  and  great  melting  of  heart.  Like  the  Syro- 
phoenician  woman,  the  church  cried,  "  Lord,  help  us  ; " 
and,  while  with  humble  and  contrite  hearts  they  pros- 
trated themselves  before  God,  they  received  some  tokens 
of  the  divine  presence.  The  congregation  met  for  wor- 
ship in  the  evening.  The  house  was  still  as  a  death- 
chamber.  An  unusual  awe  settled  upon  the  assembly. 
God  was  there.  The  text  for  the  evening  was,  "  I  pray 
thee  have  me  excused."  The  preacher's  lips  were 
touched  with  sacred  fire ;  every  sentence  he  uttered 
was  armed  with  power  and  pierced  to  the  inmost  soul. 
The  secrets  of  the  heart  were  disclosed,  excuses  were 
scattered  to  the  winds,  and  sinners  sat  before  God  con- 
demned and  speechless.  Twenty-seven  newly  converted 
persons  sought  spiritual  counsel  that  evening,  and  many 
more  returned  home  in  silence  to  weep  and  pray  in 
secret.  From  this  evening  the  work  went  forward 
powerfully,  until  it  pervaded  the  whole  community. 
Preaching  services  were  also  held  at  Titusville,  which 
were  greatly  blessed  to  the  families  in  that  vicinity. 
Evening  meetings  were  held  at  private  houses  in  the 
several  sections  of  the  congregation,  and  thorough  pas- 
toral visitation  was  kept  up  from  week  to  week.  By 
Sabbath,  the  20th  of  March,  1842,  when  a  sacramental 
service  was  held,  the  results  were  manifested.  On  that 
day  one  hundred  and  twelve  stood  up  at  once  to  enter 
into  covenant  with  God  and  his  church,  and  sat  down  for 
the  first  time  at  the  communion  table;  of  whom  eighty 
persons  were  baptized.  The  whole  number  gathered 
into  the  visible  Church  through  this  work  of  grace  was 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two,  forty-nine  of  whom  were 
heads  of  families.  The  hopeful  converts  were  of  every 
age,  from  twelve  up  to  eighty-two. 


81 

This  revival  of  1841-2  prepared  the  way  for  the 
organization  of  the  Titusville  Church  in  1844.  That 
church  has  had  four  pastors  :  Rev.  Garret  Van  Arts- 
dalen,  Rev.  Jesse  B.  Davis,  Rev.  William  A.  Jenks  and 
Rev.  John  S.  Gilmer ;  but  is  now  vacant. 

In  the  winter  of  the  year  1846  this  church  was  per- 
mitted again  to  "  see  God's  power  and  glory  in  the 
sanctuary."  Some  indications  for  good  were  visible 
about  the  middle  of  December,  1845.  The  most  note- 
worthy and  impressive  scene  was  on  Sabbath  evening, 
January  4,  1846,  when  a  strong  appeal  was  made  to 
the  congregation  from  the  words  of  Elijah, — "  If  Baal, 
then  follow  him."  The  preacher  was  lifted  altogether 
above  himself  with  clearness  of  thought,  cogency  of 
argument  and  freedom  of  utterance,  which  seemed  to  be 
nothing  less  than  supernatural.  Ears  were  opened, 
consciences  were  aroused,  tears  flowed  freely,  heads 
dropped,  and  in  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  the  final  de- 
cision was  made  by  some,  at  least,  to  enter  at  once  into 
the  service  of  God.  One  of  the  subjects  of  the  Spirit's 
work  that  evening  has  been  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  ordained  as  an 
evangelist  in  the  presence  of  some  of  the  people  now 
living  here.  As  the  result,  fifty-six  new  names  were 
added  to  the  communion  roll,  of  whom  one  is  now  an 
acting  elder  in  this  church  and  another  a  deacon.  While 
we  would  ascribe  to  God  alone  the  power  and  the  glory 
in  this  blessed  work,  honorable  mention  should  be  made 
of  the  Rev.  Robert  Hamill,  who  for  two  weeks  labored 
shoulder  to  shoulder  and  heart  to  heart  with  the  pastor, 
both  in  the  pulpit  and  from  house  to  house. 

The  blessed  effects  of  the  revival  of  1846  were  con- 
tinued through  the  years  1847  and  1848,  and  a  season 


82 

of  refreshing  was  enjoyed  during  the  winter  of  1850-51, 
in  each  case  cheering  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God 
and  gathering  in  sinners  from  the  world. 

But  in  the  winter  of  1857-58  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  visit  the  church  again  in  a  more  striking  manner,  of 
which  the  pastor  at  the  time  made  the  following  record  : 

Revival  at  Pennington. 

It  has  pleased  God  recently  to  visit  the  Church  of  Pennington,  New 
Jersey,  with  a  gracious  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  the  result  of 
which  sixty  persons  have  united  with  the  church  by  a  public  profession 
of  their  faith.  Of  this  number  there  were  ten  husbands,  with  their 
wives ;  ten  female  heads  of  families,  three  of  whom  were  the  wives  of 
church-members ;  and  five  male  heads  of  families,  who  were  husbands 
of  communicants,  making  in  all  thirty-five  heads  of  families.  The  re- 
mainder were  single  persons  of  both  sexes,  ranging  from  the  age  of  six- 
teen upward.  Of  the  sixty,  twenty-two  are  males  and  thirty-eight  are 
females.  Among  them  are  found  the  children  of  the  covenant  and  the 
lineal  descendants  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  generation  of  the  godly  men 
who  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  ago  laid  the  foundations  of  this  church, 
as  well  as  some  of  the  posterity  of  a  former  pastor  who  labored  faith- 
fully among  this  people  for  almost  half  a  century.  "  He  hath  remem- 
bered his  covenant  forever,  the  word  which  he  commanded  to  a  thousand 
generations." 

These  converts,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  have  been  regular  attend- 
ants on  the  house  of  God,  and  were  experimentally  well  acquainted  with 
the  truths  of  Christianity.  It  is  worthy  of  observation  that  this  revival 
is  no  sudden  affair,  produced  by  a  little  unusual  effort  and  mere  human 
machinery  ;  but  it  is  the  ingathering  of  the  ripened  fruits  of  seed  which 
has  been  sown  from  time  to  time  through  a  period  of  years.  Two  persons 
date  back  their  religious  impressions  two  years  ;  one,  three  years  ;  two, 
four  years  ;  one,  five  years  ;  one,  six  years  ;  five,  eight  years  ;  one,  nine 
years ;  four,  ten  years ;  five,  twelve  years ;  two,  fifteen  years ;  three, 
sixteen  years ;  two,  eighteen  years  ;  and  three,  twenty  years ;  while 
others  have  been  under  the  faithful  training  of  Christian  parents,  fre- 
quently warned  by  pious  friends  or  well  instructed  in  the  Sabbath-school. 
The  immediate  occasions  of  the  religious  awakening  of  individuals  have 
been  various.  Here  one  traces  the  first  determination  to  seek  the  soul's 
salvation  to  the  solemn  charge  of  a  dying  Christian  mother ;  there  an- 
other recalls  the  affecting  scene  at  the  death-bed  of  a  father,  or  a  sister, 
•or  a  .child  ;  another  is  brought  to  reflection  by  overhearing,  from  day  to 


83 

day,  the  voice  of  secret  prayer  ;  another  by  the  sudden  death  of  a  beloved 
friend  ;  and  still  another  was  led  to  give  earnest  attention  to  the  concerns 
of  eternity  by  being  brought  through  wasting  sickness  "  nigh  unto  death  ;" 
while  several  refer  their  earliest  convictions  to  the  seasons  of  gracious 
influence  enjoyed  by  this  congregation  in  former  years,  and  some  to  im- 
pressions received  from  the  public  services  of  the  house  of  God  at  a 
more  recent  date.  The  spiritual  exercises  of  these  hopeful  subjects  of 
renewing  grace  have  been  of  the  most  satisfactory  character,  agreeing 
in  all  essential  points,  but  in  other  respects  differing  according  to  the 
natural  temperament,  age,  circumstances  and  degree  of  scriptural  knowl- 
edge. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October,  1857,  there  were  indications  of  a  deeper 
interest  in  spiritual  things  among  the  people  of  God,  and  one  or  two 
cases  of  awakening  among  the  impenitent.  About  that  time  a  course 
of  systematic  pastoral  visitations  was  commenced  and  was  prosecuted  to 
its  completion ;  social  prayer-meetings  were  multiplied ;  renewed  and 
special  attention  was  given  to  household  baptisms ;  and  preaching  was 
appointed  from  time  to  time  at  private  houses  in  the  several  neighbor- 
hoods of  the  congregation.  A  season  of  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer 
was  observed  on  the  third  of  December,  the  day  on  which  the  Pennington 
Church  was  to  be  visited  by  a  Committee  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick.  At  this  time  began  the  week-day  public  services  in  the 
sanctuary,  and  these  have  been  continued  with  greater  or  less  frequency, 
as  the  state  of  the  congregation  seemed  to  demand.  In  gathering  in  this 
spiritual  harvest  there  has  been  no  resort  to  extraordinary  measures ; 
but  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel  have  been  addressed  with  plainness 
and  pungency  to  the  understanding,  the  conscience  and  the  heart,  and 
with  special  adaptation  to  the  known  condition  of  the  various  classes  of 
hearers.  While  there  has  been  no  noise,  no  confusion  in  the  public 
assembly,  there  has  been  deep  feeling,  with  that  breathless  silence  and 
that  fixed  attention  which  mark  the  powerful  operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  accompanying  the  ministrations  of  the  word.  Christians  have 
been  stirred  up  to  unwonted  fervency  and  importunity  in  prayer,  with 
contrition  of  spirit,  and  have  been  permitted  to  rejoice  that  "praying 
breath  is  not  spent  in  vain;"  while  at  the  sacramental  supper  parents 
have  welcomed  their  sons  and  daughters ;  husbands  have  come  for  the 
first  time  to  sit  down  with  their  wives,  and  wives  with  their  husbands ; 
and  brothers,  sisters  and  near  kindred  have  met  around  the  Lord's  table 
as  children  of  a  common  Father  and  heirs  of  the  same  eternal  inheritance. 
As  to  some  of  these  cases  of  conversion,  it  is  a  pleasing  consideration 
that  in  them  are  now  answered  the  oft-repeated  prayers  of  the  pious 
dead,  whose  bodies  have  long  since  mouldered  to  the  dust. 

This  blessed  work  of  grace  furnishes  great  encouragement  to  pastors 
of  churches,  Believing  parents  and  Sabbath-school  teachers  to  be  "not 


84 

weary  in  well-doing."  for  they  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy.  "  He 
that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  hearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless 
come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him." 

It  gives  us  pleasure  to  make  special  mention  of 
the  valuable  assistance  rendered  in  the  greatly  in- 
creased labors  of  this  revival  by  our  esteemed  brother 
Roberts,  now  (1876)  Dr.  Roberts,  of  Elizabeth,  New 
Jersey. 

On  the  18th  of  November,  1863,  being  the  twenty- 
fifth  anniversary  of  the  day  on  which  the  pastor  began 
his  regular  labors  in  this  church,  he  preached  a  "  Quar- 
ter-Century Sermon,"  from  Psalm  lxviii.  28  :  "  Thy 
God  hath  commanded  thy  strength  :  strengthen,  0  God, 
that  which  thou  hast  wrought  for  us."  The  latter  part 
of  that  sermon  is  here  given  for  the  purpose  of  present- 
ing the  main  facts  relative  to  that  period.  The  speaker 
said  : 

On  the  third  Sabbath  of  November,  1838,  I  preached  my  first  sermon, 
in  the  course  of  my  regular  ministrations  here,  from  James  v.  16:  "  The 
effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much."  The  pre- 
cious truth  conveyed  in  this  text  has,  under  God,  proved  to  be  the  key- 
note to  the  spiritual  history  of  this  people  for  the  quarter  of  a  century 
which  now  closes.  I  had  already,  during  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Ben- 
jamin Ogden,  preached  three  sermons,  on  Wednesday,  the  21st,  and 
Thursday,  the  22d,  of  the  preceding  February,  at  the  close  of  a  series  of 
religious  services,  which  had  been  attended  with  a  special  work  of 
divine  grace.  This  brief  accpaaintance  led  to  an  invitation  from  you  in 
the  month  of  August  following,  through  a  committee,  to  come  hither 
again  and  preach,  with  a  view  to  a  settlement  as  your  pastor.  [Mr. 
Ogden  had  already  announced  his  purpose  to  resign.]  The  invitation 
was  accepted,  the  time  designated  being  the  third  Sabbath  in  November, 
when  I  came  agreeably  to  appointment ;  and  on  the  7th  of  February, 
1839,  the  ordination  and  installation  were  solemnized  by  the  Presbytery 
of  New  Brunswick.  During  these  twenty-five  years,  there  has  been  a 
perceptible  advancement,  gradual  but  steady,  in  all  the  material  inter- 
ests in  this  region.  Farms  have  been  enriched  and  more  thoroughly 
cultivated,  so  that  the  annual  productions  of  the  soil  are  more  than 


85 

doubled.  The  proprietors  have  in  numerous  instances  "  pulled  down 
their  barns  and  built  greater,"  and  have  either  improved  their  dwel- 
lings or  have  erected  new  ones  more  commodious. 

In  this  village,  where  there  are  now  standing  about  one  hundred 
dwellings,  at  least  sixty  (more  than  one-half)  have  been  put  up  within 
this  time,  and  many  of  the  others  have  been  improved  and  enlarged. 
There  have  been  erected  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Male  Seminary,  with 
the  recent  addition  for  the  other  sex,  and  the  Literary  Hall,  the  Pen- 
nington Institute  on  the  opposite  side  of  Delaware  street,  a  new  house 
of  worship  for  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  a  church  building  for 
the  people  of  color,  and  a  neat,  well-furnished  and  spacious  edifice  for 
our  public  school.  Then,  the  only  brick  pavement  was  that  in  front  of 
the  old  church,  constructed  mainly  of  the  square  brick  tiles  which  were 
used  to  pave  the  aisles  of  the  church  of  1765-6,  until  the  first  alteration 
in  1830.  Now,  only  a  little  more  enterprise  is  wanting  to  complete  such 
a  side-walk  as  is  needed  on  both  sides  of  Main  street  and  elsewhere. 
Most  of  the  ornamental  trees  which  improve  the  aspect  of  the  place 
have  been  planted  during  this  period.  Then,  only  two  religious  peri- 
odicals, a  few  copies  of  the  weekly  papers  of  the  county,  and  not  one 
daily,  were  left  here  by  a  tri-weekly  mail ;  and  now,  to  say  nothing  of 
what  is  brought  to  the  four  other  post  villages  in  this  township,  our 
daily  mail  comes  well  freighted,  and  a  newspaper  is  deemed  in  almost 
every  family  to  be  one  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  More  interest  is  felt  in 
the  cause  of  common  schools,  better  qualified  teachers  are  employed,  the 
standard  of  scholarship  has  been  raised  ;  in  a  word,  the  subject  of  edu- 
cation generally  has  been  exciting  more  earnest  attention  throughout 
the  community. 

Happily,  this  is  not  the  only  region  where  such  favorable  changes  as 
these  have  been  in  progress.  This  laudable  spirit  of  enterprise,  which 
aims  at  the  public  good,  found  in  multitudes  of  places,  has  contributed 
to  develop  the  resources  of  our  land,  and  to  make  this  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  nations  of  the  earth. 

In  this  congregation  much  has  been  done  to  advance  its  welfare  in 
externals.  A  house  for  religious  services  at  Titusville  was  completed, 
furnished  and  dedicated,  in  the  summer  of  1839.  Since  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  church  in  the  western  section  of  the  congregation  by  colony 
from  this,  in  January,  1844,  they  have  provided  a  comfortable  parsonage 
house,  and  have  built  a  church  edifice  far  more  tasteful  and  convenient 
than  the  former,  with  the  various  other  appendages  necessary  to  an  es- 
tablished congregation.  In  1847,  the  work  of  building  the  church  in  which 
we  are  now  (in  1863)  worshipping  was  undertaken.  As  the  income  of  the 
congregation  in  the  old  building  was  never  sufficient  to  meet  the  annnal 
expenditure,  and  there  was  reason  to  fear  an  accumulating  debt  (that 
terrible  incubus  on  all  churches),  unless  it  were  prevented  by  the  oft- 


86 

repeated  generosity  of  a  few  individuals  ;  as  the  accommodations  were  too 
limited  to  supply  the  wants  of  all  the  families ;  and  as  some  parts  of  the 
old  house  were  suffering  from  decay,  rendering  it  uncertain  how  long  it 
could  be  safely  occupied  without  essential  changes,  it  was  resolved,  after 
much  deliberation  and  prayer,  to  put  up  a  building  entirely  new  on  the 
present  site.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  the  5th  of  May,  1847,  and  the 
house  was  dedicated  on  the  10th  of  August,  1848.  The  procuring  of  furni- 
ture for  the  main  audience  room  and  the  lecture  room,  the  bell,  the  iron 
railing,  the  grave-yard  wall,  and  the  pavement  along  the  whole  church 
lot — these  demanded  much  activity,  toil  and  generosity  from  the  ladies, 
as  well  as  from  the  other  sex.  A  like  spirit  of  improvement  is  seen  in  the 
purchase  and  laying  out  of  the  cemetery,  the  erection  of  sheds  for  car- 
riages and  horses,  and  the  planting  of  ornamental  trees  in  the  church- 
yard. We  are  indebted  principally  to  the  ladies  for  the  organ  in  this 
room,  and  the  melodeon  in  the  lecture  room — instruments  which  have 
rendered  valuable  service  both  to  the  choir  and  to  the  congregation,  in 
sustaining  this  highly-important  part  of  public  worship,  the  praise  of 
God. 

There  have  been  stated  contributions  to  associations  for  charitable 
purposes,  and  to  missionary  societies,  more  especially  to  the  boards 
under  the  control  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  sum  of  $1545  25  has  been  raised  for  foreign  missions  ;  $1201  for 
domestic  missions;  $1579  83  for  the  education  of  young  men  for  the 
ministry  ;  $775  06  for  the  Board  of  Publication  ;  $732  12  for  Church 
Extension  ;  $343  for  Princeton  Theological  Seminary  ;  $89  for  the  Fund 
for  Disabled  Ministers;  for  the  American  Tract  Society,  $196  16;  for 
the  American  Bible  Society,  $593  42  ;  for  miscellaneous  charitable  ob- 
jects, $2451  72 ;  making  a  total  of  $9479  57.  To  this  should  be  added 
legacies  to  the  amount  of  about  $4500  to  the  Boards  of  Education  and 
Domestic  Missions.  This  does  not  include  the  moneys  raised  and  ex- 
pended for  the  parsonage,  for  the  new  church  edifice,  its  furniture  and 
appendages,  for  the  Sabbath-school  libraries,  for  the  stated  support  of 
the  gospel,  and  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  congregation  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  trustees. 

As  in  other  communities,  so  here,  many  changes  have  taken  place 
during  these  twenty-five  years.  I  have  attended  four  hundred  and  fifty- 
one  funerals.  Of  these  persons  one  hundred  and  four  died  in  infancy, 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty  at  the  time  of  their  death  were  over  sixty 
years  of  age  ;  and  of  these  one  hundred  and  twenty,  forty-five  were  over 
seventy,  thirty-two  over  eighty,  and  eight  over  ninety  years  of  age. 
There  were  one  hundred  and  nine  male  heads  of  families,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-four  female  heads  of  families  ;  making  two  hundred  and 
forty-three  married  persons  of  the  congregation  at  whose  funerals  I  have 
officiated.     There  are  but  about  forty  of  those  who  were  pew-holders  at 


87 

the  date  of  my  settlement  that  are  pew-holders  now  [only  sixteen  in 
1876]  ;  and  embracing  both  the  congregations  of  Pennington  and  Titus- 
ville,  the  number  of  families  that  are  living  in  the  same  homes  which 
they  then  occupied  does  not  much  exceed  forty.  I  have  united  in  wed- 
lock two  hundred  and  forty-three  couples,  of  whom  fourteen  males 
and  twenty-seven  females  have  died  since  their  marriage.  There 
have  been  baptized  in  infancy  three  hundred  and  seven,  thirty-two  of 
whom  have  since  died — only  about  one-tenth,  an  unusually  small  pro- 
portion. 

Since  I  came  among  you  I  have  preached  not  less  than  four  thousand 
and  five  hundred  times,  fully  one-tenth  of  these  services  having  been  on 
funeral  occasions.  The  Wednesday  evening  prayer-meeting  has  been 
held  steadily  from  house  to  house  in  the  village,  greatly  to  the  edifica- 
tion of  those  who  have  availed  themselves  of  its  privileges.  During  the 
winter  season,  prayer-meetings  have  been  held  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  Sabbath  afternoon  service,  at  school-houses  and  private  houses  not 
in  the  village,  has  been  maintained,  and  services  have  been  held  during 
the  week  whenever  circumstances  admitted,  and  the  state  of  the  congre- 
gation called  for  them.  The  children  of  the  congregation  have  been 
taught  to  commit  to  memory  the  Westminster  Assembly's  Shorter  Cate- 
chism. The  Sabbath-school  in  the  village  has  been  regularly  sustained 
both  winter  and  summer,  and  from  three  to  six  others  have  been  kept  in 
operation  during  the  summer  in  other  districts,  with  a  growing  interest, 
on  the  whole,  in  this  good  cause.  The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
has  been  statedly  administered,  and  on  no  one  of  these  occasions  have  I 
been  absent  since  my  ordination.  Days  of  public  thanksgiving,  days  of 
fasting  and  humiliation,  and  days  of  special  prayer,  whether  recom- 
mended by  our  National  or  State  Executive,  or  by  our  ecclesiastical 
courts,  have  been  uniformly  observed.  In  the  exercise  of  discipline 
(one  of  the  most  painful  of  duties)  according  to  our  form  of  government, 
the  Session  has  always  endeavored  to  be  both  just  and  kind,  guarding 
the  honor  of  Christ's  house,  and  in  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  aiming  to 
make  sure,  if  possible,  the  salvation  of  the  offender's  soul.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  record  the  fact  that  no  disturbance  has  ever  been  made  by 
an  attempt  to  resist  any  act  of  the  Session,  nor  has  one  of  its  decisions 
for  these  twenty-five  years  been  made  the  ground  of  either  appeal  or 
complaint  before  the  higher  ecclesiastical  courts. 

For  nearly  five  years  I  maintained  for  your  special  benefit  a  classical 
school  for  boys,  but  as  the  demand  on  both  time  and  strength  was  found 
too  great  to  be  compatible  with  the  pressing  labors  of  a  pastoral  charge 
like,  this,  it  was  not  continued.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1840, 
fully  impressed  with  the  important  bearing  of  this  undertaking  on  the 
interests  of  this  church,  the  female  seminary,  known  as  Evergreen  Hall, 
was  revived  under  Presbyterian  auspices,  by  the  aid  of  eleven  liberal 


88 

and  public  spirited  gentlemen  of  this  congregation.  From  the  first  of 
April,  1841,  it  has  been  quietly  doing  its  work,  while  I  have  watched  its 
progress  with  no  little  toil,  anxiety  and  prayer.  The  good  accom- 
plished through  its  instrumentality  will  be  best  known  hereafter. 

During  my  ministry  among  you,  three  hundred  and  eighty-six  persons 
have  been  admitted  to  the  communion  of  this  church  on  the  profession 
of  their  faith  ;  two  hundred  and  six  of  whom  were  baptized  at  the  time 
of  their  reception,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  were  received  by 
certificate  from  other  churches,  making  a  total  of  five  hundred  and  thir- 
teen. If  to  the  number  of  communicants  in  the  Titusville  church  the 
number  connected  with  this  be  added,  it  will  give  more  than  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  communicants  now  within  the  territory  covered  by  this 
congregation  in  1838. 

The  majority  of  those  who  have  been  hopefully  converted  here  during 
this  quarter  of  a  century  have  been  brought  into  the  church  in  times  of 
special  awakening.  In  1840  there  was  a  season  of  refreshing,  when 
twenty-six  were  received.  In  thewinter  of  1841-2,  there  was  an  extra- 
ordinary work  of  grace,  as  the  fruit  of  which  one  hundred  and  twelve 
young  converts  took  their  seats  at  the  communion-table  for  the  first  time 
on  the  same  day  ;  in  1843  another  gracious  season  added  twenty -three ; 
in  the  winter  of  1845-6  a  revival  of  considerable  power  added  fifty-six 
to  the  roll  of  communicants ;  in  the  winter  of  1847-8,  while  the  new 
church  was  in  progress,  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  visit  us  again,  and  add 
fifteen  to  our  number  ;  in  1851  another  work  of  grace  gave  as  its  fruit 
sixteen  hopeful  converts ;  in  1852  there  was  a  time  of  some  religious 
interest,  when  nine  were  received  ;  in  the  summer  of  1854  the  church 
was  refreshed  and  strengthened,  and  five  members  added ;  the  winter  of 
1857-8  was  a  "  day  of  the  right  hand  of  God's  power,"  when  sixty 
were  brought  in  ; — three  powerful  revivals  and  six  other  times  of  special 
religious  interest !  Surely,  "  the  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad." 

I  can  truly  say  with  the  apostle  Paul,  "  And  I,  brethren,  when  I  came 
unto  you,  came  in  weakness,  and  in  fear  and  in  much  trembling."  It 
is  true  that  in  my  earlier  years,  when  the  question  of  entering  the 
Christian  ministry  was  seriously  contemplated,  it  was  the  height  of  my 
ambition  to  become  the  pastor  of  a  rural  congregation,  of  an  affectionate 
people,  who  could  appreciate  the  gospel,  who  would  "  esteem  a  pastor 
highly  in  love  for  his  work's  sake,  and  be  at  peace  among  themselves." 
In  this,  our  Heavenly  Father  has  been  better  to  me  than  my  fondest 
hopes.  Hither  His  providence  brought  me  without  my  own  motion  ; 
here  His  providence  and  grace  have  upheld  me  thus  far ;  and  here, 
contrary  to  my  fears  and  above  my  fears,  He  has  strengthened,  sustained 
and  blessed  both  you  and  me.  The  Divine  blessing  upon  my  ministry, 
though  not  equal  to  my  desire,  has  been  altogether  beyond  my  expecta- 


89 

tions,  far  in  advance  of  the  measure  of  instrumentality,  zeal,  and  labor 
employed.  God  has  verily  shown  us  that  He  is  "  able  to  do  exceeding 
abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask  or  think."  That  I  should  not  be 
exempt  from  discouragements,  disappointments  and  trials  of  various 
sorts  which  come  to  the  lot  of  all,  and  especially  to  those  who  have  the 
care  of  souls,  was  to  be  expected ;  but  of  these  I  shall  not  speak,  amid 
mercies  so  great,  so  numerous,  so  undeserved.  These  twenty-five  years 
have  been  the  happiest  years  of  my  life.  In  all  sincerity  can  I  say,  that 
had  the  choice  been  given  me,  there  is  no  congregation  of  Christian 
people  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge,  in  this  or  any  other  land,  that  I 
would  have  preferred  before  this. 

I  have  ever  endeavored  to  tread  in  the  footsteps  of  the  apostle  who 
said,  "  I  have  not  shunned  to  declare  unto  you  all  the  counsel  of  God." 
I  have  ever  sought  to  speak  advisedly  with  my  lips  both  in  the  pulpit 
and  out  of  the  pulpit,  and  yet  with  plainness,  with  fidelity,  and  with 
that  fearlessness  which  springs  from  a  just  sense  of  accountability  to 
God.  If  ought  said  or  done  has  ever  wounded  any,  let  such  be  assured 
that  not  only  was  there  an  entire  absence  of  intention  to  give  offence,  but 
there  was  the  most  earnest  desire  to  the  contrary.  For  the  readiness  of 
mind  with  which  you  have  heard  the  Word  of  God  at  my  mouth  ;  for 
your  faithful  attendance  on  the  services  of  the  sanctuary  and  at  social 
meetings  ;  for  your  help  in  training  our  children  and  youth,  especially 
the  children  of  the  church  ;  for  your  contributions  to  objects  of  benevo- 
lence and  your  co-operation  in  advancing  the  material  interests  of  the 
congregation ;  for  the  liberal  construction  upon  my  motives,  and  the  care 
with  which  you  have  guarded  my  reputation ;  for  the  cordiality  with 
which  you  have  received  me  to  your  houses,  and  the  thoughtfulness 
with  which  you  have  confided  to  me  your  trials,  fears,  hopes  and  joys  ; 
for  every  act  of  kindness  designed  to  promote  the  spiritual  comfort  of  me 
and  mine,  and  especially  for  your  sympathy  in  days  of  affliction,  when 
we  were  called  to  lay  our  loved  ones  in  the  tomb ;  for  every  prayer, 
every  petition  you  have  put  up  here,  or  in  the  family,  or  in  the  closet, 
in  my  behalf — for  all  these,  and  more  which  time  would  fail  to  mention, 
fathers  and  mothers  in  Israel,  brethren  and  sisters,  and  you  that  are  my 
spiritual  children,  I  give  you  this  day,  in  the  name  of  my  Lord  and 
Master,  most  hearty  thanks.  "  God  is  not  unrighteous  to  forget  your 
work  and  labor  of  love."  "He  that  giveth  a  cup  of  cold  water  only 
to  a  disciple,  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  shall  in  nowise  lose  his  re- 
ward." 

During  the  progress  of  a  little  more  than  five  years 
after  the  period  covered  by  this  Quarter-Century  Ser- 
mon, the  church  continued  to  prosper.     In  the  winter 


90 

of  1865-6,  there  was  a  season  of  a  little  reviving  which 
brought  ten  within  the  fold,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1866-67,  there  was  a  spiritual  work  of  still  greater 
power,  when  the  church  was  enlarged  by  an  accession 
of  twenty-six.  As  the  general  result,  we  see  during 
these  thirty  years,  five  hundred  and  thirteen  added  on 
profession,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  by  cer- 
tificate. There  were  three  hundred  and  fifty-six  bap- 
tized in  infancy ;  and  there  were  five  hundred  and  fifty 
funerals,  and  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  marriages. 
In  the  meantime  the  church  raised  over  $4000  for  mis- 
sionary purposes,  nearly  one-half  as  much  in  five  and  one- 
third  years  as  had  been  contributed  within  the  previous 
twenty-five.  And  within  those  five  years,  a  new  inter- 
est was  awakened  in  the  cause  of  Sabbath-schools,  and 
a  more  powerful  impulse  given;  deeply  felt  alike  by 
parents  and  children, — an  influence  which  prepared  the 
way  for  blessings  yet  to  come. 

Special  attention  has  uniformly  been  given  to  the 
Shorter  Catechism  of  the  Westminster  Assembly ;  and 
at  the  annual  gathering  of  the  children  of  all  the  Sab- 
bath-schools, a  Bible  was  given  to  each  one  who  had 
committed  the  Shorter  Catechism  to  memory,  and  a 
copy  of  the  New  Testament  to  such  as  had  learned  the 
Child's  Catechism.  These  occasions,  in  which  an  abun- 
dant feast  was  spread  for  the  children,  and  in  which 
addresses,  prayers  and  cheerful  songs  were  commingled, 
were  animating  and  impressive,  and  remembered  with 
pleasure  by  the  old  as  well  as  the  young. 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  twenty-five  of  the  mem- 
bers who  were  in  communion  at  the  beginning  of  this 
ministry  in.  November,  1838,  are  now  living  here, 
although  all  the  officials,  whether  ruling  elders,  deacons, 


91 

or  trustees,  are  dead.  All  the  churches  of  the  Presby- 
tery have  changed  pastors,  and  only  six  of  the  ministers 
who  were  then  in  its  connection  are  now  alive. 

The  following  facts  and  correspondence  show  the 
pleasant  relations  subsisting  between  the  pastor  and  his 
people.  He  having  first  consulted  the  Session  at  an  infor- 
mal meeting,  when  each  member  signified  his  approba- 
tion, sent  to  the  Pennington  congregation  the  following 
communication : 

Pennington,  N.  J.,  March  23,  1867. 
To  the   Members  of   the  Presbyterian    Church  and   Congregation 
of  Pennington  : 

Beloved  Brethren  : — For  a  few  weeks  past  I  have  been  holding 
under  consideration  the  question  of  spending  the  coming  summer  in 
Europe.  An  important  element  in  making  up  a  decision  would  be  the 
assurance  that  I  have  your  full  consent  and  cordial  approbation.  The 
term  of  my  absence  will  probably  not  exceed  six  months,  and  during  that 
period  I  propose  to  obtain  the  services  of  a  substitute  who  would  reside 
within  the  limits  of  the  congregation. 

It  may  be  proper  for  me  here  to  mention  a  fact  which  is  probably  not 
known  to  most  of  you,  namely,  that  at  the  time  of  my  settlement  among 
you,  a  little  more  than  twenty-eight  years  ago,  there  was  a  verbal  agree- 
ment that  I  should  be  allowed  an  annual  vacation  of  six  weeks.  This 
indulgence  it  has  never  been  in  my  heart  to  demand,  for  it  has  ever  been 
my  preference,  while  health  and  strength  permitted,  to  remain  at  home 
prosecuting  my  labors. 

That  your  reply  may  be  such  as  shall  be  sanctioned  by  the  Great  Head 
of  the  Church,  and  for  the  ultimate  good  of  all  concerned,  is  the  prayer 
of  Your  friend  and  pastor, 

George  Hale. 

To  this  a  reply  was  returned  as  follows  : 

Pennington,  N.  J.,  March  25,  1867. 
Rev.  George  Hale,  D.D. : 

Dear  Sir  : — Your  letter  was  received  and  read  at  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  congregation,  and 

Resolved  1st,  and  unanimously  adopted,  That  leave  of  absence  be 
granted  you  for  six  months,  or  so  long  as  may  suit  your  convenience. 

Resolved  2d,  That  the  congregation  pay  the  substitute  you  shall  fur- 
nish in  the  time  of  your  absence. 

Respectfully  yours, 

John  E.  Burd,  Moderator. 


92 

The  pastor  sailed  from  New  York  for  Havre,  France, 
Saturday,  May  25,  in  the  steamer  Guiding  Star,  and  on 
his  return  in  the  Arago  from  Falmouth,  England,  landed 
in  New  York,  and  arrived  at  Pennington  on  Thursday, 
Nov.  14,  1867,  at  evening.  On  Friday,  two  hundred  of 
the  congregation  met  at  Evergreen  Hall,  and  gave  their 
pastor  and  those  who  returned  with  him  a  cordial  greet- 
ing. An  address  of  welcome  was  delivered  by  Major 
John  G.  Muirheid  in  behalf  of  the  people,  and  responded 
to  by  the  pastor.  A  neat  family  Bible  was  at  the  same 
time  presented  to  Rev.  J.  H.  B.  Jane  way,  who  had  sup- 
plied the  pulpit.  The  ample  supply  of  provisions  with 
which  the  "  tables  groaned"  that  evening  was  furnished 
by  the  ladies.  Reading  the  Scriptures,  singing  and  prayer, 
in  which  our  friend  and  neighbor  Dr.  John  Hall,  of 
Trenton,  took  part,  closed  this  joyous  festive  occasion. 

The  congregation,  true  to  its  promise,  had  continued 
the  pastor's  salary,  and  paid  in  full  the  amount  agreed 
upon  for  the  services  of  the  substitute. 

On  the  11th  of  February,  1869,  the  Rev.  George 
Hale,  D.D.,  was  elected,  by  the  Trustees  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  the  Secretary  of 
the  Fund  for  Disabled  Ministers  and  their  Families,  to 
fill  the  vacancy  created  by  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Joseph 
H.  Jones,  D.D.  Having  accepted  the  appointment,  sub- 
ject to  the  action  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick, 
he  addressed  the  following  letter  to  the  congregation  at 
a  special  meeting  held  at  3  p.  m.,  Tuesday,  March  2, 
1869,  to  wit : 

Pennington,  March  2,  1869. 
To   the   Members   of   the    Presbyterian  Church  and  Congregation 
at  Pennington  : 
Beloved  Brethren  : — You  have  already  learned  from  other  sources 
that  I  have  been  elected  "  Secretary  of  the  Committee  on  the  Fund  for 


93 

Disabled  Ministers  and  their  Families."  This  office  I  think  it  my  duty  to 
accept.  You  have  therefore  been  called  together  to-day  that  I  may  resign 
into  your  hands,  so  far  as  I  received  it  from  you,  the  charge  of  this  church 
and  people  ;  and  also  that  you  may  make  arrangement  to  unite  with 
me  in  applying  to  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  (at  its  meeting  in 
Trenton,  at  3  p.  m.,  to-morrow)  for  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion. The  contemplated  separation  is  not  only  trying  to  you  but  also  to 
me.  This  consideration  has  had  its  due  weight  in  coming  to  the  decision 
which  I  have  reached.  The  interest  I  feel  in  this  congregation  is  deep 
and  abiding,  for  it  has  been  matured  for  many  years  during  which  I 
have  anxiously  watched  over  you,  and  labored  and  prayed  for  you,  and 
rejoiced  in  your  joys  and  wept  in  your  sorrows.  Nevertheless,  with  all 
the  light  I  now  have,  my  calm  and  sober  judgment  is  convinced,  and  my 
conscience  clear,  that  this  appointment  is  as  truly  a  call  of  God  as  that 
which  brought  me  hither  to  be  your  pastor.  It  is  a  consolation  to  know 
that  you  are  under  the  care  of  the  Great  and  Good  Shepherd,  who  will 
never  forsake  you  unless  you  forsake  Him  ;  and  that  in  answer  to  your 
prayers,  He  will  soon  send  you  an  under-shepherd,  who  will  do  for  you 
all  that  He  shall  see  to  be  for  your  highest  good  and  His  own  glory. 

It  is,  therefore,  my  earnest  request  that  the  kind  feeling  which  you 
have  ever  cherished  towards  me  will  now  be  shown  by  interposing  no 
obstacles,  but  by  cheerfully  uniting  with  me  in  the  application  to  Pres" 
bytery  for  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  subsisting  between  us. 
I  have  endeavored  to  be  faithful  while  I  have  been  with  you,  and  wherein 
I  may  have  failed,  I  implore  your  kind  indulgence,  while  I  take  refuge 
in  atoning  blood. 

Grant  me,  dearly  beloved,  as  long  as  you  shall  live,  an  interest  in 
your  prayers,  as  it  will  ever  be  my  privilege  to  remember  you  at  the 
throne  of  grace,  until  that  day  when  we  must,  both  people  and  pastor, 
stand  before  God. 

"What  is  my  hope,  or  joy,  or  crown  of  rejoicing?  Are  not  even  ye 
in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  at  his  coming." 

And  now,  brethren,  1  commend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  His 
grace,  which  is  able  to  build  you  up,  and  to  give  you  an  inheritance 
among  them  which  are  sanctified. 

Ever  your  sincere  friend  in  our  common  Lord  and  Saviour, 

George  Hale. 

The  congregation  gave  expression  to  their  confidence 
in  their  pastor,  and  their  warm  regard  for  him,  by  com- 
plying with  his  request ;  and  accordingly  the  relation 
was  dissolved,  to  take  effect  March  7,  1869.  The  pas- 
tor was  appointed  to  preach  in  the  Pennington  Church  on 


94 


that  clay,  and  to  "  declare  the  pulpit  vacant."  On  that 
Sabbath,  in  the  morning,  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  administered,  and  in  the  evening,  after  a 
sermon  from  the  words  of  God  to  Moses,  "  Speak  unto 
the  children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward,"  the  action 
of  the  Presbytery  was  cited,  and  the  last  word  spoken. 
There  was  a  separation  in  form,  but  no  farewell. 

The  church  edifice  built  in  1847-8  was  a  stately  Gothic  struture  in  the 
style  of  the  eleventh  century,  with  the  lancet-arch.  It  was  in  imitation 
of  brown  freestone,  all  the  old  material  on  the  ground  being  used  as  a 
matter  of  economy.  It  was  some  time  after  the  subscription  began  to  be 
circulated  before  the  work  was  begun.  On  the  5th  of  August,  1845,  the 
congregation  appointed  a  committee  to  circulate  a  subscription  paper. 
The  following  amounts  were  subscribed  : 


James  B.  McNair, 

$500  00 

Elizabeth  Stevenson, 

§61  00 

Charles  Welling, 

300  00 

D.  B.  Skillman, 

50  00 

Isaac  Welling, 

250  00 

James  Burroughs, 

50  00 

John  Conrad, 

250  00 

Joshua  Ketcham, 

50  00 

Asa  Hunt, 

275  00 

Wm.  S.  Hunt, 

15  00 

Stephen  B.  Smith, 

200  00 

Hannah  Howd, 

15  00 

George  Woolsey, 

200  00 

Josiah  Baldwin, 

12  00 

Andrew  Titus, 

200  00 

Joseph  Phillips,  Jr., 

3  00 

Henry  P.  Welling, 

100  00 

Azariah  Titus, 

5  00 

C.  L.  Wynkoop, 

100  00 

Joseph  C.  Van  Doren, 

5  00 

D.  N.  Wiley, 

100  00 

Margaret  Wikoff, 

20  00 

Ephraim  Woolsey, 

100  00 

Sarah  Wikoff, 

25  00 

George  Hale, 

200  00 

Geo.  and  A.  S.  Banning, 

20  00 

Reuben  Titus, 

100  00 

Solomon  D.  Irvin, 

10  00 

Absalom  Blachley, 

200  00 

Wm.  Smith  Hunt, 

10  00 

Andrew  Baldwin, 

105  00 

John  C.  Titus, 

10  00 

Garret  J.  Schenck, 

100  00 

Benj.  Q.  Ege, 

15  00 

Mary  L.  Hale, 

100  00 

Boswell  Howe, 

25  00 

Pierson  Bake, 

100  00 

Charlotte  Titus, 

5  00 

Aaron  Hart,  Jr., 

100  00 

Ursula  Fish, 

15  00 

J.  Smith  Hart, 

100  00 

Sarah  Schenck, 

25  00 

John  Welch, 

100  00 

Sarah  Phillips, 

10  00 

B.  S.  Holt, 

100  00 

Jesse  Snook, 

15  00 

Azariah  Hunt, 

100  00 

Benj.  Taylor, 

20  00 

Mary  Hart, 

50  00 

Azariah  Reed, 

5  00 

George  Muirheid, 

25  00 

Clark  Miller, 

5  00 

John  G.  Muirheid, 

25  00 

Hannah  Ketcham, 

5  00 

95 


Eliza  Ketcham, 

$5  00 

John  V.  Terhune, 

$10  00 

Sarah  S.  Vancleve, 

2  00 

Randall  Drake, 

25  00 

Deborah  Dennison, 

5  00 

Charity  Dunn, 

15  00 

N.  R.  Titus, 

25  00 

Edward  Hepburn, 

20  00 

Daniel  C.  Titus, 

15  00 

Enoch  A.  Titus, 

25  00 

Charity  Vancleve, 

2  00 

George  R.  Cook, 

20  00 

Charles  Tindall, 

5  00 

John  S.  A^ancleve, 

10  00 

Benjamin  Ogden, 

100 

Samuel  Hart, 

10  00 

Emily  T.  Ogden, 

1  00 

James  Large, 

10  00 

Mary  L.  Wynkoop, 

5  00 

Jesse  Atchley, 

5  00 

Ann  Reed  and  daughters, 

3  00 

John  Vancleve, 

500 

Sarah  Wilgus, 

3  00 

Anthony  Reed, 

5  00 

Asher  R.  Hart, 

15  00 

Uriah  Burd, 

10  00 

John  D.  Drake, 

10  00 

David  B.  Green, 

5  00 

John  Temple, 

10  00 

Wm.  A.  Green, 

50  00 

Samuel  S.  Hart, 

10  00 

Wm.  P.  Vankirk, 

7  00 

Israel  Temple, 

100 

John  C.  Hunt, 

5  00 

Rhoda  Hunt, 

5  00 

Isaac  Primmer, 

10  00 

Timothy  Hunt, 

15  00 

Wm.  II.  Temple, 

3  00 

Samuel  II.  Burroughs, 

5  00 

Asher  Brown, 

10  00 

Aaron  W.  Stout, 

25  00 

Hannah  MeClellan, 

3  00 

Ann  Hagaman, 

5  00 

Mary  Hunt, 

2  00 

Augustine  M.  Vankirk, 

20  00 

Henry  II.  Phillips, 

5  00 

Henry  B.  Perrine, 

25  00 

John  Dilts, 

50  00 

John  E.  Burd, 

25  00 

Malvina  Forman, 

25  00 

Edward  Atchley, 

20  00 

Daniel  J.  Blackwell, 

40  00 

Jonathan  Anderson, 

5  00 

Ishi  V.  Blackwell, 

5  00 

Israel  Baldwin, 

5  00 

Andrew  and  Charles  Fish, 

5  00 

John  MeClellan, 

5  00 

Nathaniel  II.  Hart, 

10  00 

Wm.  Williamson, 

10  00 

J.  P.  Martin, 

5  00 

Abm.  De  II.  Williamson, 

3  00 

John  B.  Beatty, 

5  00 

Charles  Hoff, 

5  00 

R.  W.  Petherbridge, 

5  00 

Jonathan  Burd, 

10  00 

Edward  Cooke, 

5  00 

Peter  Updike, 

20  00 

Joseph  Bunn, 

5  00 

Joseph  Titus, 

10  00 

Enoch  V.  D.  Waters, 

5  00 

Charles  Kelsey, 

10  00 

Simeon  Phillips, 

1  00 

William  Beatty, 

5  00 

Williamson,  Burroughs,  &c 

.,  10  00 

David  L.  Titus, 

20  00 

I.  and  I.  P.  Steiner, 

5  00 

Joseph  M.  Vancleve, 

25  00 

Mary  C.  White, 

5  00 

Thomas  II.  West, 

5  00 

G.  II.  White, 

25  00 

Susanna  Titus, 

5  00 

Ludlow  D.  Potter, 

10  00 

Elias  Golden, 

10  00 

Ed.  Evrenham, 

6  00 

William  Rosco, 

20  00 

John  S.  Hunt, 

10  00 

Samuel  C.  Cornell, 

5  00 

Widow  of  Asher  Temple, 

50 

96 


Mr.  Moses  Baldwin, 

$        50 

Win.  Davis, 

$100 

Hannah  Muirheid, 

20  00 

John  H.  Phillips, 

5  00 

Josiah  Hart, 

20  00 

Isaac  H.  Bergen, 

2  00 

Joseph  Vannoy, 

10  00 

Aaron  Hart, 

50  00 

Mrs.  Mary  Smith  gave  timber. 

Here  are  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  subscriptions  (of  these  donors, 
sixty  only  are  living,  ninety-one  are  dead)  amounting  to  $5619,  and  yet 
with  that  beginning,  a  church  that  could  not  now  be  erected  for  $40,000 
was  built  at  a  cost  in  cash  of  $10,000  to  the  congregation. 

Messrs.  Isaac  Welling  and  John  Conrad,  who  undertook  the  contract 
from  love  to  the  church,  lost  over  $4000.  In  God's  own  time,  the  reward 
will  come  to  them  and  to  their  posterity.  The  designing  architect  was 
Mr.  Johnson,  of  Philadelphia  ;  the  superintending  builder,  Augustine  M. 
Vankirk  ;  the  master  mason  was  John  McPherson  ;  the  building  commit- 
tee were  Benjamin  S.  Holt,  Dr.  James  B.  McNair,  and  C.  L.  Wyncoop. 

The  exercises  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone,  May 
5,  1847,  were : 

1st.  Invocation  and  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  by  the  Rev.  James  R. 
Talmage,  of  Blawenburgh,  N.  J. 

2d.  Psalmody:  "Before  Jehovah's  awful  throne."  100th  Psalm,  Rev. 
George  Ely,  Hamilton  Square. 

3d.  Laying  the  corner-stone  and  prayer,  by  the  pastor. 

4th.  Psalmody:  87th  Psalm,  "  God  in  its  earthly  temple,"  &c.  By 
Rev.  R.  D.  Morris. 

5th.  Addresses  by  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Jones,  D.D.,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
and  Rev.  P.  O.  Studdiford,  D.D.,  of  Lambertville. 

At  the  dedication,  August  10,  1848,  the  exercises 
were  as  follows : 

1.  Voluntary,  by  the  choir,  "  Jerusalem  my  happy  home."  Mr.  Peter 
V.  D.  Schenck,  leader. 

2.  Invocation,  by  the  Rev.  P.  O.  Studdifoi-d  D.D.,  of  Lambertville. 

3.  Reading  Scriptures,  Psalm  xx.,  Ixxxiv.  and  cxxii.,  by  Rev.  R.  D. 
Morris,  of  Newtown,  Pa. 

4.  Psalmody.  122d  Psalm  (P.  M.) :  "How  pleased  and  blest  was  I." 
By  Rev.  George  Ely,  of  Hamilton  Square. 

5.  Prayer  by  Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  D.D.,  of  Princeton. 

6.  Dedication  hymn  prepared  for  the  occasion  : 

In  Thy  blest  presence  now, 
Father  in  Heaven,  we  bow  ; 
Oh,  be  Thou  near. 


97 

Cause  thy  rich  love  so  free, 
In  every  heart  to  be, 
While  we  devote  to  Thee 
This  house  of  prayer. 

Thou  who  on  earth  once  dwelt, 
Who  all  our  sorrows  felt, 

On  Calvary  ; 
This  humble  temple  grace, 
Here  show  Thy  smiling  face, 
Be  this  Thy  dwelling-place, 

Perpetually. 

Here  Holy  Spirit  too, 
Who  dost  the  soul  renew, 

Exert  Thy  power. 
Make  stubborn  wills  to  bend, 
And  rocky  hearts  to  rend, 
While  prayer  and  praise  ascend, 

Each  holy  hour. 

Come  great  eternal  Lord  ! 
Father,  Spirit  and  Word, 

Blest  Three  in  One: 
Thy  glories  bright  display. 
Light,  life  and  joy  convey, 
Here  may  ten  thousands  say, 
"  Thy  will  be  done." 

Then  when  life's  work  is  o'er, 
And  they  from  earth  shall  soar, 

In  Heaven  to  appear, 
Loud  voices  glad  will  say, 
As  hence  they  wing  their  way, 
To  dwell  in  endless  day, 

"  We  were  born  here." 

7.  Sermon  by  the  pastor,  Deut.  viii.  2  :  "  Thou  shalt  remember  all  the 
way  the  Lord,  thy  God,  led  thee." 

8.  Dedicatory  prayer  by  the  pastor. 
'J.  Collection. 

10.  Concluding  prayer  by  Rev.  Daniel  Deruelle. 

11.  Benediction  by  Rev.  Hugh  Ilamill  of  Lawrence,  with  dosology. 

VIII.  Rev.  Daniel  Requa  Foster  is  the  eighth  pastor. 
He  was  born  September  22, 1838,  at  Patterson,  Putnam 


98 

county,  New  York,  the  son  of  Edmund  and  Ann  Eliza 
Foster ;  received  into  the  full  communion  of  the  church 
in  January,  1849  ;  prepared  for  college  at  Peekskill 
Academy;  took  the  degree  of  A.B.  at  the  College  of 
New  Jersey,  1863,  and  A.M.  in  1866 ;  graduated  at 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  in  1866 ;  was  licensed 
as  a  probationer  for  the  gospel  ministry  by  the  Presby- 
tery of  Connecticut,  at  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  April 
24,  1866,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  as  pastor  elect  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Phelps,  New  York,  June  1, 
1866.  He  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  at  Phelps 
July  29,  1866,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Rochester  City. 
On  the  25th  of  June,  1868,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
Evans  Steward,  daughter  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Steward,  of 
Trenton,  New  Jersey.  In  the  month  of  October,  1869, 
his  pastoral  relation  to  the  church  at  Phelps  was  dis- 
solved. He  entered  on  his  ministerial  duties  on  the 
first  Sabbath  of  October,  1870,  at  the  Pennington 
Church.  Having  received  a  cordial  and  unanimous  call 
from  this  people  he  was  installed  pastor  on  the  17th  of 
April,  1871,  by  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick.  On  that  occasion  the  Rev.  James  B.  Ken- 
nedy presided,  and  preached  the  sermon  from  Exodus 
xvii.  11, 12,  the  Rev.  A.  Gosman,  D.D.,  gave  the  charge 
to  the  pastor,  and  Dr.  Hale,  the  ex-pastor,  gave  the 
charge  to  the  people. 

Previous  to  the  call  and  the  installation,  the  Lord 
came  down  with  power  upon  the  people,  thus  owning 
the  labors  of  His  servant.  All  the  members  of  a  Bible- 
class  taught  by  one  of  the  elders  were  subjects  of  the 
work,  with  several  others  from  the  Sabbath-school,  two 
of  the  children  of  the  ex-pastor,  and  children  of  the 


99 

church  officers,  with  others  of  mature  age.  Mr.  Foster 
had  been  preaching  with  great  pungency,  with  the  view 
of  arousing  the  church  members  to  more  earnest  prayer 
and  effort ;  services  were  held  for  nine  successive  weeks, 
in  which  short  expositions  of  the  Word  of  God  were  fol- 
lowed by  prayer  and  exhortation.  In  the  meantime 
visitation  from  house  to  house  was  diligently  prose- 
cuted. Another  means  which  helped  forward  the  work 
was  the  establishment  of  cottage  prayer-meetings  at  five 
different  points  in  the  congregation.  These  meetings 
were  conducted  by  the  people  themselves,  the  pastor 
taking  the  general  supervision  and  appointing  the  leader. 
The  earliest  conversions  appeared  among  the  young 
men,  of  whom  there  were  several  in  the  congregation, 
and  most  of  them  the  children  of  the  covenant.  As 
the  result  of  this  blessed  work,  over  seventy  were  gath- 
ered within  the  spiritual  fold. 

On  the  minute-book  of  the  session  of  the  church  is 
found  this  record : 

Pennington,  January  25,  1874. 
The  Moderator  takes  the  liberty  of  recording,  for  future  reference,  that 
between  the  hours  of  twelve  and  one  o'clock  to-day  the  edifice  of  this 
church  was  burned,  the  third  house  of  worship  they  have  erected  ujoon 
these  grounds. 

The  benediction  had  been  pronounced  and  the  people 
had  just  left  the  building  when  the  alarm  of  fire  was 
given,  and  within  fifty-five  minutes  the  steeple  had 
fallen  over  and  the  church  was  a  heap  of  ruins.  The 
musical  instruments,  the  old  and  new  communion  tables, 
the  pulpit  chairs,  old  and  new,  with  the  old  pulpit 
cushion  of  1766  and  the  Bibles,  were  saved.  It  was 
a  sad  hour  to  that  pastor  and  people  as  they  stood  by 
and  saw  the  flames  ascending  to  heaven  from  their  burn- 
ing sanctuary      While  almost  scorched  by  the  intense 


100 

heat,  the  trustees  convened  informally  and  appointed  a 
meeting  for  their  own  body  on  Monday,  and  for  the 
whole  congregation  on  Wednesday,  to  consider  what 
must  be  done.  These  meetings  were  held ;  and  at  that 
of  the  congregation  on  Wednesday  it  was  resolved  unani- 
mously that  measures  be  adopted  to  rebuild  at  once. 
Three  gentlemen  subscribed  one  thousand  dollars  each 
(George  Woolsey,  John  Smith  Hunt  and  Joseph  A. 
Frisbie),  and  that  afternoon  a  subscription  of  over  fif- 
teen thousand  dollars  gave  assurance  that  the  work 
would  be  done.  The  proper  committees  were  appointed, 
a  plan  selected,  a  contract  formed,  and  the  work  begun. 
The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  May  5, 
1874,  on  the  27th  anniversary  of  the  laying  of  the 
cOrner-stone  of  the  church  just  burned  down.  While 
destitute  of  a  sanctuary,  the  people  assembled  for  wor- 
ship in  the  spacious  room  of  the  public  school  in  the 
morning,  and  held  a  joint  meeting  with  the  congregation 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  evening. 

The  14th  of  January,  1875,  wTas  a  joyful  day  with 
the  Presbyterians  of  Pennington,  the  day  of  the  opening 
of  the  new  church.  After  the  reading  of  the  report  of 
the  building  committee  by  Major  John  Guild  Muirheid, 
which  showTed  a  balance  of  over  five  thousand  dollars 
yet  clue  on  the  building,  a  check  of  one  thousand  dollars 
from  Mr.  Enoch  Ketcham,  of  New  York,  was  offered 
by  Samuel  Ketcham,  his  nephewr,  on  condition  that  the 
whole  debt  be  paid  at  once.  The  proposition  met  with 
favor.  Messrs.  C.  H.  and  H.  P.  Muirheid  (who  had  al- 
ready given  the  new  bell)  made  a  joint  donation  of  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  other  liberal  contributions  were 
pledged,  so  that  within  twenty  minutes  the  whole 
amount  was  raised ;  and  then  the  building,  which  cost 


101 

$27,200,  was  by  the  pastor  dedicated  to  the  worship 
of  Almighty  God. 

The  following  paragraphs,  written  by  Dr.  Thomas 
Murphy,  of  Frankford,  Pa.,  who  took  part  in  the  exer- 
cises, may  be  read  with  interest  some  future  day : 

Th_e  newly-erected  edifice  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Pennington 
was  dedicated  on  Thursday,  14th  inst.,  under  circumstances  of  peculiar 
interest.  The  age  of  the  church  organization,  the  blessed  spirit  reigning 
among  the  people,  the  large  attendance,  and  the  delightful  union,  con- 
tributed to  this  interest.  A  little  less  than  a  year  ago,  the  former 
building  was  burned  to  the  ground,  amidst  the  deepest  sorrow  of  the 
people  and  their  pastor,  Rev.  D.  R.  Foster.  But  while  the  ruins  were 
still  smoking,  some  steps  towards  rebuilding  were  taken,  and  before  a 
week  had  elapsed,  more  than  half  the  needed  funds  were  subscribed. 
The  new  structure  was  now  to  be  devoted  to  God. 

The  occasion  drew  together  a  vast  concourse  of  people.  The  citizens 
of  all  denominations,  the  members  of  neighboring  churches,  large  num- 
bers of  persons  from  Trenton,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York,  attracted 
by  old  associations,  thronged  the  church.  So  great  was  the  interest, 
that  the  stores  of  the  town  were  generally  closed.  All  admired  the 
noble  building,  which  had  been  so  soon  and  so  harmoniously  erected. 
Large  enough  to  accommodate  six  or  seven  hundred  worshippers, 
beautifully  frescoed,  and  tastefully  carpeted  and  furnished  throughout, 
with  prayer-meeting  and  Sabbath-school  rooms  ready  for  their  impor- 
tant departments  of  services,  it  could  not  but  be  greatly  admired. 

The  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Duryea, 
D.D.,  of  Brooklyn  ;  and  a  noble  sermon  it  was — so  simple,  so  full  of 
Scripture,  so  full  of  grand  thoughts,  so  warm  and  so  pertinent  to  the 
occasion.  Several  other  clergymen  took  part  in  the  exercises — among 
them  Dr.  Hamill,  of  Lawrenceville.  The  music  of  "the  occasion  was 
admirable ;  and  its  interest  was  increased  by  the  fact  that  it  was  con- 
ducted by  George  Hale,  Jr.,  M.D.,  of  Philadelphia,  son  of  the  former 
pastor  of  the  church.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  a  statement  was  read, 
showing  that  the  whole  cost  of  the  edifice,  as  it  stood,  was  about  twenty- 
seven  thousand  dollars.  Of  this  amount,  twenty-two  thousand  had  been 
already  secured.  Before  the  building  was  actually  dedicated  to  God  by 
prayer,  the  remaining  five  thousand  dollars  were  contributed  or  sub- 
scribed on  the  spot,  amidst  enthusiastic  and  most  happy  feeling.  The 
gifts  were  overflowing,  and  more  could  very  easily  have  been  collected. 
All  was  so  easy,  so  harmonious,  so  full  of  hearty  co-operation,  it  was 
manifest  that  many,  many  prayers  had  been  offered  up  for  the  blessed 
consummation  that  day  experienced. 


102 

In  the  evening  another  exceedingly  interesting  meeting  was  held. 
Short  addresses  were  made  by  Rev.  W.  W.  M'Nair  and  by  Rev.  Asher 
B.  Temple,  both  sons  of  the  old  church,  and  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gosman,  a 
neighboring  pastor.  But  the  important  feature  of  the  evening  was  a 
lengthy  and  most  deeply  interesting  historical  sketch  of  the  church  by 
Rev.  George  Hale,  D.D.,  Secretary  of  the  Relief  Fund  of  the  General 
Assembly.  It  was  warm  and  loving,  and  wonderfully  full  of  knowledge 
of  the  old  families  which  had  founded  the  church  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago.  Nothing,  in  fact,  is  more  pleasant  in  connection  with  this 
famous  congregation  than  the  kind  and  unselfish  interest  still  taken  in 
it  by  its  former  pastor,  Dr.  Hale.  For  thirty  years  did  he  minister  to  it, 
until  called  to  his  present  important  position  as  Secretary  of  the  Relief 
Fund.  But  his  love  for  his  old  charge  is  unabated  ;  and  he  stands  faith- 
fully by  its  present  pastor  in  rendering  all  the  assistance  that  can  be 
drawn  from  his  long  and  rich  experience.  Happy  is  that  present  pastor 
in  such  a  friend  !  Happy  and  grateful  may  brother  Foster  well  be  in 
what  the  Lord  has  wrought  for  him  and  his  people  !  We  could  not  but 
congratulate  him  most  heartily.  May  many  years  of  prosperity  and 
happy  union  in  the  cause  of  Christ  be  granted  to  this  church,  upon 
which  so  many  covenanted  blessings  are  now  coming  down. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1876,  began  a  precious 
work  of  grace.  A  few  weeks  before  the  Week  of 
Prayer,  the  pastor  divided  the  congregation  into  dis- 
tricts, and  made  out  a  list  of  the  male  members  of  the 
church  who  would  be  willing,  in  his  judgment,  to  join 
with  the  elders  and  deacons  in  making  a  thorough  vis- 
itation, with  a  view  to  the  spiritual  good  of  all  the 
families  of  the  congregation,  and  of  any  families  that 
might  be  found  living  in  neglect  of  church  privileges. 
This  plan  was  submitted  to  the  elders  and  approved. 
Notice  was  given  from  the  pulpit  of  the  day  on  which 
the  families  in  each  district  would  be  visited,  and  of 
the  persons  who  might  be  expected  to  call  in  the  per- 
formance of  this  service.  All  who  were  apppointed  to 
co-operate  in  this  work  were  invited  to  attend  a  conse- 
cration service.  This  was  a  solemn  occasion,  and 
served   to  prepare   their  minds  and  hearts  for  such  an 


103 

interesting  and  responsible  undertaking.  They  took 
with  them  for  distribution  two  tracts,  "A  Call  to 
Prayer."  "  Come  to  Jesus,"  or  "  Looking  unto  Jesus," 
and  went  forth  like  the  seventy  of  old,  "  two  and  two," 
to  read  the  Scriptures  and  pray  in  each  household. 
This  was  followed  by  continuous  religious  services  from 
evening  to  evening  in  the  church.  The  first  fruits  of 
this  effort  are  thus  described  by  an  eye-witness : 

Sabbath,  the  20th  of  February,  1876,  was  a  precious  day  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  at  Pennington.  The  sun  shone  brightly,  the  atmos- 
phere was  pure,  the  assembly  large.  Forty-one  persons,  the  fruits  of  a 
work  of  grace  now  in  progress,  sat  down  for  the  first  time  at  the  com- 
munion-table. Of  these,  twenty  were  males  and  twenty-one  females. 
Seventeen  were  heads  of  families,  and  the  remaining  twenty-four  were 
youth  of  both  sexes. 

In  that  compact  group  are  a  husband  and  wife,  who  agree  in  their  pur- 
pose to  join  the  little  one  whom  the  Good  Shepherd  has  "  gathered  in  his 
arms,"  by  choosing  Jesus  as  their  own  Saviour  ;  a  father  and  his  elder 
son  sit  side  by  side,  and  another  father  brings  both  daughter  and  son ; 
three  members  of  a  Bible  class  are  there  to  manifest  the  power  of  their 
teacher's  persevering  efforts  to  save  their  souls ;  a  young  bride,  encour- 
aged by  a  Christian  husband,  celebrates  her  espousal  to  Christ  •,  and  a 
widow,  afflicted  by  successive  bereavements,  is  soothed  and  cheered  by 
a  Heavenly  voice,  "  Thy  Maker  is  thy  husband,  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  his 
name;"  "Am  I  not  better  unto  thee  than  ten  sons?"  Here  are  the 
proofs  that  God  is  faithful  to  his  covenant  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion ;  here  are  the  answered  prayers  of  saints  who  long  since  went  up  to 
glory ;  and  here  also  are  the  fruits  of  the  earnest  intercessions  of  the 
living,  and  marked  testimonials  of  untiring  pastoral  fidelity. 

Forty  of  these  forty-one  had  been  regular  attendants  on  the  ministra- 
tions of  the  sanctuary — the  one  exception  proving  that  while  God  is  not 
shut  up  to  any  method  in  saving  men,  He  gives  the  chief  honor  to  His 
own  Word  preached  by  His  appointed  servants  in  the  name  of  Christ. 

During  six  weeks  the  pastor  has  officiated  at  more  than  forty  religious 
services,  with  aid  only  once  or  twice  from  abroad.  God  be  praised  that 
"  They  who  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy."  Of  the  many  faithful  ser- 
vants of  the  Lord  who  "  give  themselves  wholly  "  to  their  work,  let  the 
name  of  Daniel  R.  Foster,  the  beloved  pastor  of  Pennington  Church,  be 
put  on  record  by  one  who  knows  his  worth. 


104 

Other  communicants  were  afterwards  received ;  the 
young  men's  prayer-meeting  has  become  an  established 
institution ;  a  young  men's  Christian  Association  (with 
reading-room)  for  the  church  has  been  formed;  a  youth's 
meeting  has  been  held  by  the  pastor  during  the  winter 
and  spring,  for  special  instructions;  the  cottage  prayer- 
meetings  are  maintained  through  the  winter ;  Wednes- 
day evening  is  uniformly  devoted  to  religious  exercises, 
and  the  practice  of  presenting  a  Bible  to  every  child 
that  commits  to  memory  the  Shorter  Catechism  is  con- 
tinued. As  the  result  of  Mr.  Foster's  labors,  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-one  have  been  added  to  the  roll  of 
communicants  on  profession,  besides  twenty-six  by 
certificate. 

CONCLUSION. 

This,  for  our  nation,  is  the  centennial  year,  and  on 
this  last  Sabbath  of  the  first  century  of  our  national 
existence,  thousands  of  assemblies  will  send  up  their 
thanksgivings  to  God.  Let  us  heartily  acknowledge 
Jehovah  as  our  God,  as  the  Governor  among  the  na- 
tions, as  the  author  of  our  national  prosperity,  and  the 
only  source  from  which  we  can  receive  substantial 
good  in  days  to  come.  Let  us  swell  this  volume  of 
praise,  "  He  hath  not  dealt  so  with  any  nation :  and  as 
for  his  judgments,  they  have  not  known  them.  Praise 
ye  the  Lord." 

In  viewing  the  history  of  this  church,  we  see  an  illus- 
tration  of  the  fact  that  the  original  colonists  of  any 
region  give  direction,  tone  and  character  to  the  people ' 
gathered  into  that  community  for  centuries.     The  old 
Presbyterian    Churches    of    Jamaica,    Newtown    and 


105 

Hempstead  had  the  moulding  of  the  families  who  'Set- 
tled here.  They  did  not  neglect  infant  baptism.  They 
brought  with  them  an  open  Bible  and  the  Sabbath  ; 
they  planted  the  sanctuary  and  the  school-house  side  by 
side,  and  called  for  the  living  preacher ;  and  with  divine 
grace  in  their  hearts,  they  purposed  to  establish  a  free 
Christian  home  for  themselves  and  their  children. 
Through  their  constancy,  their  labors  and  their  prayers, 
this  has  been  a  spot  peculiarly  favored  with  heavenly 
influences. 

During  the  last  three-quarters  of  a  century,  there  have 
been  nine  general  revivals  of  religion ;  and  in  addition 
to  these,  ten  seasons  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord.  Here  the  truth  has  been  preached  with 
fidelity,  the  word  has  been  heard  with  gladness,  souls 
have  been  converted,  and  saints  have  been  ripened  for 
glory.  It  is  doubtful  whether  there  are  many  places 
on  this  earth  where,  for  a  century  and  a  half,  so  large  a 
proportion  of  the  inhabitants  have,  at  their  departure 
hence,  in  the  judgment  of  charity,  exchanged  earth  for 
heaven.  In  this  churchyard  they  sleep  in  Jesus  ;  but 
in  the  remembrance  of  their  example,  and  the  rich 
legacy  of  their  prayers,  they  still  live ;  nor  can  their 
influence  die  out  while  the  world  stands. 

Brethren,  beloved  of  the  Lord,  the  lines  have  fallen 
unto  you  in  pleasant  places.  You  have  a  goodly  herit- 
age. Set  a  proper  estimate  upon  your  privileges.  Guard 
as  a  sacred  trust  this  precious  inheritance  that  has  come 
down  from  your  fathers,  and  hand  it  over  to  posterity 
unimpaired.  How  often  has  He  whose  heart  is  love 
opened  His  hand  to  do  you  good  !  "  Tell  ye  your 
children  of  it,  and  let  your  children  tell  their  children, 
and  their  children  another  generation." 


106 


RULING  ELDERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AT  PENNINGTON. 

Enoch  Armitage,  born  November  27,  1677  ;  died  January  28,  1738-9. 

Reuben  Armitage,  born  November  3,  1705;  died  November  18,  1783. 

Ephraim  Titus. 

Joseph  Titus,  Sr.,  born  May  30,  1722;  died  December  4,  1797. 

Nathan  Hunt,  born  March  22,  1727  ;  died  April  10,  1808. 

Thomas  Baldwin,  died  June,  1791.       ^^ 

John  Smith,  Esq.,  born  April  13,  1747;  died  October  29,  1819. 

John  Hunt,  born  April  13,  1747;  died  March  18,  1827. 

John  Muirheid,  born  October  18,  1750;  died  March  19,  1830. 

Abraham  Pittenger,  born  July  12,  1743  ;  died  July  30,  1821. 

John  Carpenter,  died  September  15,  1831. 

Nathaniel  Burrowes,  born  May  5,  1767  ;  died  July  19,  1839. 

Major  Stephen  Burrowes,  born  1755  ;  died  July  8,  1812. 

Jacob  Hoff,  born  June,  1767  ;  died  December  12,  1812. 

Israel  Hart,  born  1772;  died  May  24,  1828. 

John  Hoff,  born  March  2,  1782;  died  April  1,  1839. 

Enos  Titus,  born  1769 ;  died  February  16,  1840. 

Daniel  G.  Howell,  born  October  23,  1777  ;  died  February  28,  1852. 

Aaron  Hart,  born  1768  ;  died  August  14,  1853. 

Charles  Welling,  born  February  10,  1777;  died  October  15,  1857. 

Enoch  Ketcham,  born  July  4,  1774  ;  died  March  5,  1850. 

Theophilus  Furman,  born  June  17,  1773  ;  died  October  28,  1850. 

Joab  Titus,  born  1780  ;  died  October  3,  1866. 

Edmund  Roberts,  ordained  February  6,  1829. 

Isaac  Welling,  ordained  February  6,  1829  ;  born  January  27,  1784;  died 

February  29,  1868. 
Nathaniel  R.  Titus,  ordained  February  6,  1829 ;  died  October  21,  1863. 
Joseph  Titus,  ordained  1829 ;  died  1853. 
John  Guild  Muirheid,  ordained  March  24,  1850 ;  born  June  25,  1789 ; 

died  November  17,  1866. 
Azariah  Hunt,  ordained  March  24,  1850. 
John  Smith  Hunt,    "  "  " 

Benjamin  S.  Holt,    "  "  " 

John  Ellis  Burd,      "  "  " 

Enoch  A.  Titus,        "  "  " 

Wilson  Blackwell,    "  "  " 

William  J.  Titus,     "  "  " 

George  R.  Cook,       "  "  " 

Wilson  Atchley,       "  "  " 

John  V.  Terhune,    "  "  " 

Ralph  Ege,  "  "  " 

Jacob  Dilts,  "  "  " 

Reuben  C.  Titus,      »  "  " 


107 


DEACONS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AT  PENNINGTON. 

Titus  Hart,  born  November  12,  1754;  died  January  23,  1797. 

Solomon  Titus,  born  October  8,  1757  ;  died  December  19,  1833. 

Edmund  Roberts. 

John  Davison. 

Daniel  G.  Howell. 

Aaron  Hart. 

Enoch  Ketcham. 

Benjamin  Hoff,  ordained  1829;  born  Sept.  15,  1791  ;  died  Sept.  7,  1838. 

Daniel  H.  Hart,  born  1796 ;  died  September  28,  1842. 

Andrew  Titus,  born  1788  ;  died  December  25,  1849. 

Reuben  Titus.  ' 

George  Woolsey,  ordained  April  16,  1S43. 

James  Burroughs,  ordained  January  5,  1845. 

Jonathan  Smith  Hart,  ordained  March  24,  1850. 


Daniel  C.  Titus, 
John  S.  Vancleve, 
Augustus  Frisbie, 
Jonathan  V.  Blackwell, 
David  G.  Baldwin, 


March  6,  1864. 


It  was  in  the  early  part  of  Mr.  Rue's  ministry  that  the  congregation 
became  incorporated  under  the  General  Law  of  the  State.  The  record 
is  as  follows : 

September  30,  1786. 
A  number  of  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  of  the  Town- 
ship of  Hopewell,  met  at  the  Meeting  House  in  Pennington  and  pro- 
ceeded to  elect  Trustees  for  sd  church,  at  which  time  and  place  the 
following  men  were  chosen,  viz. : 

John  Welling,  Jr., 
John  Smith,  Esq., 
John  P.  Hunt, 
Amos  Moore, 
Stephen  Burrowes,  Jr., 
Nathaniel  Hart, 
Hezekiah  S.  Woodruff. 

Oct.  4th  the  abovesd  Trustees  met  at  Mr.  Henry  Baker's,  in  sd  Town- 
ship, at  which  time  and  place  they  each  took  and  subscribed  the  oaths 
directed  by  an  Act  of  the  Legislature,  made  and  provided  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  immediately  proceeded  to  make  choice  of  a  President,  when 
John  Welling,  Jr.,  was  unanimously  chosen  to  that  office.     And  at  the 


108 


same  time  drew  a  certificate  to  certify  the  name  of  the  church,  which  is 

as  follows,  viz. : 

We,  the  Subscribers,  being  duly  elected  agreeably  to  a  Law  in  that 

case  made  and  provided,  do  assume  the  name  of 

The  Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  or  the  Township 

of  HorEWELL,  in  the  county  of  Hunterdon,  in  the  state  of  New  Jersey. 
Witness  our  hands  and  seals,  this  4th  day  of  October,  1786: 

John  Welling,  Jr., 
John  Smith,  Esq., 
Stephen  Burrowes,  Jr., 
iAmos  Moore, 
John  P.  Hunt, 
Nathaniel  Hart, 
Hezekiah  S.  Woodruff, 

which  certificate  was  recorded,  October  5,  A.D.,  1786,  in  the  Registry 

of  Deeds,  &c,  for  the  County  of  Hunterdon,  page  135. 

We  here  add  the  names  of  Trustees  elected  since  that  date : 
Nathan  Hunt,  April  5,  1788. 
Henry  Baker,  April  6,  1790. 
John  Hunt,  "  " 

John  Muirheid,    "  " 

John  Vancleve,    "  " 

Ephraim  Woolsey,  Sr.,  Apr.  7, 1800. 
Enoch  Hunt,  "         " 

Stephen  Titus,  "         " 

Jesse  Hunt,  April  6,  1801. 
Jesse  Moore,  April  1,  1806. 
Stephen  Hunt,  April,  1806. 
John  Carpenter,  April  6,  1807. 
James  Stevenson,  March  28,  1808. 


1834. 


28,  1838. 

u 

29,  1841. 
(< 

29,  1847. 


John  G.  Muirheid,  March   1 

Garret  J.  Schenck, 

C.  L.  Wyncoop, 

George  Woolsey, 

Asa  Hunt, 

Stephen  B.  Smith, 

Wm.  D.  Blackwell, 

Jonathan  S.  Hart, 

George  R.  Cook, 

Ephraim  Woolsey, 

John  Ellis  Burd, 

Benjamin  S.  Holt,  March  29,  184S. 


Enoch  Ketcham, 

t. 

1808. 

Edmund  Roberts, 

u 

26,  1810 

George  Muirheid, 

u 

31,  1817 

Samuel  Moore, 

u 

it 

Charles  Welling, 

(< 

u 

Aaron  Hart, 

it 

« 

Josiah  Hart, 

(( 

(( 

Andrew  Titus, 

u 

30,  1829 

Joseph  Titus, 

« 

« 

John  V.  Terhune, 
Jonathan  V.  Blackwell, 
William  B.  Muirheid, 
Archibald  Updike, 
John  G.  Muirheid,  Jr. 
Henry  B.  Perrine, 
Daniel  C.  Titus, 
Samuel  B.  Ketcham, 
Ralph  Ege, 


25,1861. 

u 

26,  1866. 
25,  1867. 

u 

23,  1868. 
(< 

30,  1874. 


THE  NEW  SIDE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 


MAIDENHEAD  AND  HOPEWELL. 


One  mile  west  of  Pennington  there  is  a  graveyard  on 
which  once  stood  a  Presbyterian  church,  and  where  a 
Presbyterian  minister  lies  buried.  This  naturally  ex- 
cites inquiries,  which  it  is  now  proposed  to  answer. 

In  the  year  1741,  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  this 
country  was  rent  asunder,  the  two  parties  being  known 
as  Old  Side  and  New  Side.  The  cause  was  not  any 
difference  in  either  doctrine  or  church  polity — for  all  ad- 
hered to  the  Westminster  Confession  and  Catechisms — 
but  in  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  thorough  preparation 
of  candidates  for  the  ministry,  and  certain  new  measures 
in  the  conduct  of  revivals.  The  leader  in  this  division 
was  a  minister  of  undoubted  piety,  orthodoxy  and 
talent,  but  of  great  impetuosity  of  temper,  ardor,  and 
force  of  will,  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent,  then  pastor  of 
the  church  in  New  Brunswick.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
noted  revival  preachers  of  that  day.  But  his  zeal  out- 
running his  judgment,  he  censured  in  no  measured  terms 
his  brethren  who  did  not  fully  sympathize  with  him, 
and  join  in  his  course  of  action.  His  sermon  at  Notting- 
ham, Pa.,  in  1740,  "  On  the  Danger  of  an  Unconverted 
Ministry,"  gave  deserved  offence.  He  denounced  some 
of  the  best  men  in  the  church  as  unconverted,  wolves  in 


110 

sheep's  clothing,  whited  sepulchres,  and  plastered  hypo- 
crites, and  encouraged  his  friends  to  obtrude  into  the 
congregations  and  pulpits  of  such  as  in  his  view  were 
not  faithful  to  the  souls  of  professors  and  non-professors. 
At  the  same  time,  he  and  his  associates  were  dissatisfied 
with  a  rule  of  Synod  requiring  that  candidates  for  the 
ministry  should  be  examined  by  a  committee  of  Synod 
before  their  licensure  could  be  accepted  as  valid.  Mr. 
Tennent  and  his  friends  claimed  to  be  the  only  advo- 
cates of  revivals,  which  allegation  was  not  true.  The 
Old  Side  men  sought  only  to  prevent  the  introduction 
into  the  ministry  of  men  insufficiently  educated,  and  to 
have  "All  things  done  decently  and  in  order."  The 
feeling  was  so  intense,  the  war  of  words  so  fierce,  and 
the  misapprehension  so  great,  that  schism  was  inevita- 
ble. The  first  church  disturbed  by  this  controversy 
was  this  of  "Maidenhead  and  Hopewell."  We  give  in 
full  the  minutes  in  this  case : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  pro  re  nata  at  Maid- 
enhead, March  14th,  1737-8,  ubi  post  preces  sederunt  Mr.  J.  Andrews, 
Mr.  Rob'  Cross,  Mr.  Riclv4  Treat,  Mr.  Hugh  Carlile  and  Mr.  David 
Cowell,  Mr.  Cross  chosen  Moderator,  and  Mr.  Treat  clerk. 

The  Presl/5,  having  met  at  the  application  of  the  people  of  Maiden- 
head and  Hopewell  in  order  to  clear  their  way  for  the  settlement  of  the 
gospel  ministry  among  them,  they  heard  all  parties  at  large  in  what  they 
had  to  say  respecting  that  affair,  and  there  being  a  considerable  number 
that  insisted  upon  the  trial  of  another  candidate  besides  Mr.  Guild  be- 
fore they  come  to  a  determination  about  any  one  particular  man,  after 
much  discourse  those  that  were  well  satisfied  with  Mr.  Guild  conde- 
scended, in  view  of  the  good  and  peace  of  the  whole,  to  the  motion  of 
trying  another  for  the  space  of  three  months,  which  three  months  are  to 
commence  at  the  expiration  of  the  present  agreement  of  said  people  with 
Mr.  Guild,  or  as  soon  as  such  candidate  or  probationer  can  be  procured 
after  said  time:  provided  that  the  said  persons,  that  are  desirous  of  this 
new  trial,  be  at  the  whole  charge  of  bringing  said  probationer  hither ; 
which  said  persons  have  consented  to.  So  that,  upon  the  whole,  presby- 
tery agrees  and  concurs  with  this  proposal  of  making  trial  of  another 


Ill 

man  besides  Mr.  Guild  as  the  likeliest  way  in  order  to  their  settlement, 
and  have  also  agreed  to  join  with  the  people  in  inviting  Mr.  James  Dav- 
enport being  the  person  proposed  to  come  and  help  them. 

Concluded  with  prayer. 

N.  B.  The  evening  following  the  ministers  drew  up  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Davenport,  and  left  it  with  the  people  to  be  conveyed  by  the  messengers 
that  shall  be  sent  to  them. 

The  effort  to  obtain  the  services  of  the  Rev.  James 
Davenport  failed,  for  he  received  and  accepted  a  call  to 
the  church  of  Suffolk,  Long  Island,  where  he  was  or- 
dained and  installed,  October  26,  1738.  In  the  mean- 
time, 

The  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  met  Sep.  19,  1738  pro  re  nata  at  Phil- 
adelphia. Whereas  the  Pres7  did  in  some  former  sessions  give  a  liberty, 
with  proper  restrictions,  to  the  people  of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell,  to 
call  any  orderly  and  regular  candidate  in  order  to  have  a  trial  of  his 
gifts  and  abilities  for  settlement;  and  whereas,  pursuant  to  said  grant, 
the  said  people  invited  Mr.  Rowland  to  come  and  preach  to  them  for  a 
suitable  time,  and  Mr.  Rowland  did  preach  to  them  on  the  last  Lord's 
day.  The  Presby  being  informed  that  Mr.  Rowland  has  not  complied  with 
the  order  of  the  last  Synod  relating  to  the  examination  of  students  by  a 
commission  of  Synod  appointed  for  that  end,  was  hastily  passed  over  in 
his  trials  by  the  Presby  of  New  Brunswick  in  direct  opposition  to  said 
order  of  Synod,  and  Mr.  Rowland  had  information  of  Mr.  Cowell  of  the 
irregularity  of  his  licensing,  advising  him  not  to  preach  at  Hopewell  at 
sd  time,  and  he  not  attending  the  Presy  although  he  knew  of  this  time  of 
its  meeting— upon  which  considerations  the  Presb7  unanimously  con- 
cludes they  can't  accept  of  Mr.  Rowland  as  an  orderly  licensed  preacher, 
nor  approve  of  his  preaching  any  more  among  said  people  of  Hopewell 
and  Maidenhead,  or  in  any  other  of  the  vacancies  within  our  bounds 
until  his  way  be  cleared  by  complying  with  the  order  of  Synod  afore- 
said, and  order  that  a  letter  be  sent  both  to  Mr.  Rowland  and  the  people 
aforesaid  with  a  copy  of  this  minute. 

20th  day  at  9  o'clock  a.  m.  P.  P.  Sed1  qui  supra. 

The  letters  ordered  to  be  writ  to  Mr.  Rowland  and  the  people  of 
Maidenhead  and  Hopewell  were  bro't  in  and  approved  and  ordered  to 
be  transcribed  and  sent  to  them  by  the  Moderator. 

The  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  met  at  Neshiminy 
October  26,  1738,  makes  the  following  record  : 


112 

A  supplication  was  brought  into  the  Presb7  from  some  people  of  the 
congregation  of  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead  requesting  that  they  might 
be  erected  into  a  separate  society  of  themselves,  containing  also  the  rea- 
sons to  support  their  request,  and  also  a  paper  of  subscriptions  from  the 
other  part  of  that  congregation,  and  both  parties  adding  what  they 
thought  proper,  were  heard  at  length  in  reference  to  the  contents  of  said 
supplication, — and  also  the  matter  was  debated  among  the  members  of 
the  Presby.  At  last  it  was  agreed  that  inasmuch  as  the  Presb7  judge  it 
their  duty  and  business  that  whenever  new  erections  are  made,  they  take 
particular  care  that  the  old  standing  congregations  be  not  hurt  or  ruined 
thereby — to  prevent  this,  it  was  agreed  to  ask  sd  supplicants  whether 
they  owned  the  authority  and  would  submit  to  the  determination  of  the 
Presby  in  case  they  could  not  agree  about  the  seat  of  a  new  meeting- 
house for  sd  supplicants,  when  they  shall  be  erected, — which  question 
when  proposed  occasioned  considerable  reasoning  between  parties.  At 
last  it  was  by  all  parties  agreed  to,  and  promised  that  when  erected  they 
should  endeavor  to  agree  among  themselves  about  a  place  for  said  meet- 
ing-house, that  is  to  say  a  place  about  which  a  majority  of  the  old  con- 
gregation of  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead  and  also  a  majority  of  sd  designed 
new  erection  shall  agree.  But  in  case  they  cannot  so  agree,  that  then 
the  final  determination  concerning  the  place  of  sd  meeting-house  shall 
again  be  remitted  to  the  Presb7,  who  shall  at  a  convenient  time  meet 
upon  the  place  and  so  finally  determine  as  they  shall  find  it  reasonable, 
which  abovesaid  proposal  was  read  publicly  and  submitted  unto  by  both 
parties,  viz.  by  those  in  behalf  of  the  supplicants  for  the  new  erection 
Benjamin  Stevens,  John  Anderson,  Sam1  Hunt  and  Joseph  Birt — by 
those  in  behalf  of  the  old  congregation  Enoch  Armitage,  Thomes  Bur- 
rowes,  Edward  Hart  and  Timothy  Baker, — and  then  the  Presb7  pro- 
ceeded to  erect  sd  supplicants  into  a  separate  congregation  or  society, 
which  was  done  unanimously. 

A  supplication  from  sd  new  erection  was  bro'tinto  the  Presb7  request- 
ing to  be  set  off  from  this  Presb7  that  they  might  joyn  the  Pres7  of  New 
Brunswick.  The  Presb7  taking  the  affair  under  consideration,  do  judge 
that  inasmuch  as  their  engagements  before  mentioned  are  not  yet  ful- 
filled, they  cannot  consent  to  set  them  off  from  this  Presb7  for  the  pres- 
ent, but  if  the  business  with  respect  to  the  setting  of  their  house  be 
accomplished  to  satisfaction,  the  Presb7  will  be  ready  upon  their  appli- 
cation to  them  to  take  their  request  under  consideration. 

At  the  meeting  of  Philadelphia  Synod  in  May,  1739, 
Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent  and  his  friends  protested  against 
the  rule  in  reference  to  the  examination  of  candidates ; 
severe  censures  were  passed  on  the  Presbytery  of  New 


113 

Brunswick  for  licensing  Mr.  Rowland  in  violation  of  the 
order  of  Synod ;  the  New  Side  people  of  Hopewell  and 
Maidenhead  were  rebuked  for  their  course  of  action,  and 
the  following  language  used  : 

The  Synod  do  judge  that  the  said  people  have  behaved  with  great  in- 
decency towards  their  Presto  by  their  unmannerly  reflections  and  un- 
just'aspersions,  both  upon  the  Synod  and  the  Presbytery,  and  that  they 
have  acted  very  disorderly  in  improving  Mr.  Rowland  as  a  preacher 
among  them,  when  they  were  advised  by  the  Presbytery  that  he  was  not 
to  be  esteemed  and  improved  as  an  orderly  candidate  for  the  ministry  ; 
and  the  Synod  do  wholly  disallow  the  said  complainants  being  erected 
into  a  new  congregation  until  they  do  first  submit  to  the  determination 
of  the  place  for  erecting  a  new  meeting-house  to  their  Presbytery,  as 
was  formerly  agreed  between  them  and  their  neighbors  as  a  condition 
of  their  being  a  separate  congregation.  The  overture  was  approved  by 
a  great  majority.  And  it  is  further  ordered  by  the  Synod,  That  when 
the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  meet  at  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead  to  fix 
the  place  of  a  new  meeting-house,  they  shall  call  the  following  corres- 
pondents Messrs.  John  Pierson,  John  Nuttman,  Samuel  Blair,  Aaron 
Burr,  Nathaniel  Hubbell  and  Eleazar  Wales. 

From  this  time  we  find  nothing  of  this  "  new  erec- 
tion" until  May  29th,  1742,  when  they  applied  to  the 
Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  for  supplies.  October 
12th,  1743,  Rev.  James  Davenport  being  at  this  Pres- 
bytery, this  people  applied  to  have  him  settled  as  their 
minister.  The  Presbytery,  however,  upon  conversation 
with  him,  judged  that  he  had  not  retracted  all  his  errors, 
and  therefore  that  the  way  was  not  clear  for  his  settle- 
ment, but  gave  them  permission  to  employ  him  as  stated 
supply  until  May,  1744.  They  sought,  September  12th, 
1744,  for  the  services  of  the  Rev.  John  Graham,  of 
Southbury,  Connecticut,  but  failed. 

In  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  William  Tennent,  of  Free- 
hold, to  Mr.  Prince,  of  Boston,  in  Gillies'  Historical 
Collections,  under  date  of  October  11th,  1744,  he 
says: 


114 

About  four  weeks  since,  at  the  invitation  of  the  people  and  desire  of 
our  Presbytery,  I  gathered  a  church  and  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper 
at  a  newly-erected  congregation  in  the  towns  of  Maidenhead  and  Hope- 
well. 

Perhaps  it  was  about  this  time  that  their  house  of 
worship  was  built,  and  a  formal  organization  given  to 
the  church.  On  May  28th,  1745,  they  applied  for  the 
ministerial  services  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lawrence,  and 
September  19th,  1745,  sent  in  a  call  for  him,  which  he 
"had  not  the  clearness  to  accept;"  and  on  the  21st  of 
May,  1746,  the  application  was  renewed,  but  nothing 
permanent  was  secured.  It  was  at  this  date  that  Mr. 
Davenport  was  received  into  the  Presbytery,  of  which 
this  is  the  record  : 

Mr.  James  Davenport,  an  ordained  minister,  having  been  for  some 
time  past  preaching  the  gospel  within  our  bounds,  and  being  likely  to 
abide  still  longer  among  us,  made  application  to  the  Pres7  for  ad- 
mittance as  a  member  with  us  ;  and  having  signified  his  satisfaction  and 
consent  to  the  doctrines  contained  in  the  Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith,  and  catechisms  received  by  us,  together  with  our  plan  of  govern- 
ment, so  far  as  he  has  had  opportunity  of  inspecting  into  it,  he  was 
thereupon  readily  received  as  a  stated  member. 

At  the  same  date,  May  21st,  1746  : 

The  Presbytery,  considering  the  broken  state  of  the  towns  of  Hope- 
well and  Maidenhead,  with  respect  to  their  religious  affairs,  as  being 
two  distinct  congregations,  and  being  desirous  that  said  congregations 
might  be  united  into  one  under  one  minister,  if  any  means  can  be  found 
to  accomplish  it,  the  Pres7,  after  much  consideration  and  discourse 
upon  sa  affair,  came  into  this  conclusion  that  for  a  committee  of  the 
Presbytery,  with  correspondents  from  the  New  York  Pres7,  to  meet 
at  Hopewell,  and  treat  with  Mr.  Guild  and  both  congregations  upon  the 
subject,  is  the  most  likely  means  for  it;  and  accordingly  appoint  Mr. 
Gilbert  Tennent,  Mr.  Wm.  Tennent,  Mr.  Beatty,  Mr.  M'Knight  and 
Treat,  to  be  a  committee  of  Pres7  to  meet  at  Hopewell  the  third 
Wednesday  of  June,  and  do  invite  Messieurs  Dickinson,  Pierson,  Burr, 
and  Brainard,  as  correspondents  to  meet  with  them  at  sd  time  and 
place,  to  consult  about  and  assist  in  that  important  affair. 

Maidenhead,  October  15th,  1746.     The  committee  appointed  to  mee 
at  Hopewell  met  according  to  appointment,  with  correspondents,  but 


115 

finding  it  at  that  time  impracticable  to  accomplish  the  design  of  their 
meeting,  judged  it  best  not  to  proceed  in  the  affair. 

October  12th,  1748,  a  call  was  brought  into  Presby- 
tery for  Rev.  Timothy  Allen.  He  was  never  installed, 
although  he  resided  on  the  parsonage  and  preached  for 
them  about  three  and  a-half  years,  to  May  27th,  1752. 
It  is  stated  that  there  were  several  difficulties  in  the 
way,  and  "  in  the  meantime  they  exhort  all  concerned 
to  consult  the  things  that  make  for  peace."  Several 
ineffectual  efforts  were  made  to  bring  matters  into  such 
a  state  as  would  justify  Mr.  Allen  in  accepting  this 
call. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  1753,  the  Rev.  James  Dav- 
enport having  been  dismissed  by  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Castle,  on  condition  of  his  settlement  with  the 
people  of  Maidenhead  and  Hopewell,  was  received ;  and 
on  the  31st  the  call  put  into  his  hands,  and  he  declared 
his  acceptance.  Messrs.  Wm.  Tennent,  Chas.  M'Knight, 
Israel  Read,  Thos.  Lewis  and  Eliab  Byram,  were  ap- 
pointed to  attend  on  the  installment,  and  Mr.  Tennent  to 
preside.  It  was  recommended  that  within  the  com- 
pass of  five  years  this  people  add  five  pounds  to  Mr. 
Davenport's  salary,  until  it  reach  seventy  pounds  per 
annum. 

At  Freehold,  May  28th,  1754,  this  committee  re- 
ported to  Presbytery  that  on  the  26th  of  December, 
1753,  they  met  on  the  spot,  and  finding  things  not  ripe 
for  settlement,  through  the  manifest  neglect  of  the 
people,  could  not  proceed  in  the  affair. 

The  Presby  do  hereupon  judge  the  conduct  of  said  people  to  be  highly 
abusive,  both  to  the  Fresy  and  to  Mr.  Davenport ;  but  sd  people  having 
made  some  just  reflections  upon  their  conduct,  and  again  presenting  a 
call  to  Mr.  Davenport,  he  declared  his  acceptance  of  it.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  instal  him  on  the  27th  of  October.     Mr.  Lewis  was  ap- 


116 

pointed  to  preach  at  Hopewell  on  the  Sabbath  previous,  to  prepare  the 
way  for  sd  instalment;  also,  in  consideration  of  the  disappointment  and 
damage  sustained  by  the  delay  of  the  instalment  of  Mr.  Davenport 
through  the  default  of  the  people  of  Hopewell  and  Maidenhead,  the  Presy 
do  order  that  sa  people  advance  Mr.  Davenport's  salary  to  £70  per  an- 
num two  years  sooner  than  was  recommended  to  them  by  the  last  Pres7, 
also  the  Presr  do  recommend  to  the  people  of  Maidenhead  that  they 
follow  the  example  of  the  people  of  Hopewell  in  respect  to  half-yearly 
payments  of  salary  to  Mr.  Davenport. 

The  report  of  the  installing  committee  was  as  follows: 

October  22d,  1854.  The  committee  met  at  Hopewell  according  to  ap- 
pointment for  the  instalment  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  James  Davenport.  Minis- 
ters present:  Messrs.  Wm,  Tennent  and  Chas.  M'Knight.  Ministers 
absent :  Messrs.  Thos.  Lewis  and  Israel  Read.  Mr.  Tennent  preached 
a  sermon  from  Acts  25:  18;  after  which,  finding  the  way  clear,  they 
installed  Mr.  Davenport  as  their  pastor. 

May  31st,  1757,  the  Maidenhead  people  asked  to  be 
discharged  from  the  pastoral  relation  to  Mr.  Davenport. 
The  request  was  granted.  June  30th,  1757,  the  Hopewell 
people  urged  the  same  request.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  consider  the  matter,  but  they  did  not  act,  be- 
cause the  parties  appearing  had  not  been  chosen  by  the 
congregation  to  act  as  their  representatives.  This  matter 
engaged  the  attention  of  Presbytery  at  several  subse- 
quent meetings ;  but  before  it  was  issued,  God  took  his 
servant  home. 

June  13th,  1758,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Lewis  was  called 
by  this  same  people.  The  matter  was  considered  at 
five  other  meetings  of  Presbytery  besides  this,  but  with- 
out favorable  result. 

April  28th,  1761,  Mr.  Parkhurst,  Mr.  Smith,  and 
Mr.  M'Knight  were  appointed  supplies,  and  on  11th 
October,  1763,  the  Rev.  Enoch  Green  was  appointed  a 
supply.  It  was  at  this  very  date  that  the  acre  of 
ground  on  which  the  New  Side  Church  stood  was  con- 


117 

veyecl  to  ten  trustees,  for  the  sum  of  four  pounds,  "  to 
the  proper  use  and  behoof  of  a  new  erected  congrega- 
tion belonging  to  New  Brunswick  Presbytery."  This 
step  was  taken  in  the  hope  that  the  Rev.  Enoch  Green 
would  receive  and  accept  a  call  to  settle  as  pastor. 
This  matter  of  a  call  was  brought  up  at  every  meeting 
of  the  Presbytery  for  about  three  years,  but  no  satis- 
factory arrangement  could  be  made.  The  last  instance 
of  an  application  for  supplies  was  October  21st  and  23d, 
1766,  at  which  time  an  arrangement  for  four  Sabbaths 
after  the  latter  date  was  concluded.  It  was  early  in 
this  year  that  the  new  brick  church  at  Pennington  was 
opened,  and  there  remained  but  an  extremely  feeble 
minority,  and  that  for  only  a  short  period,  to  perpetuate 
the  schism.  About  the  time  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion that  house  began  to  be  used  as  a  preaching  place 
by  Methodist  ministers  of  the  Trenton  circuit.  The 
ground  had  also  been  appropriated  for  burial  purposes, 
and  so  continues  to  this  day.  The  house  was  taken  down 
in  1826,  at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  first  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  in  the  village  (the  building  now 
occupied  as  a  dwelling  by  Aaron  S.  Laning,  Esq.).  The 
only  relic  of  that  old  church  is  a  sun-dial  on  the  south 
side  of  the  M.  E.  Conference  Seminary  of  New  Jersey 
at  Pennington. 

This  people  had  a  chequered  and  painful  history  for 
nearly  forty  years.  They  met  with  unusual  difficulty 
in  raising  funds  for  pastor  or  parsonage.  They  were 
much  of  the  time  dependent  on  the  pastors  of  the  Pres- 
bytery for  supplies.  At  different  meetings,  as  the 
extracts  from  the  minutes  show,  they  presented  calls, 
that  were  declined,  to  Messrs.  John  Rowland,  Timothy 
Allen,  Daniel  Lawrence,  Thomas  Lewis,  Samuel  Park- 


118 

hurst  and  Enoch  Green;  and  they  were  served  occa- 
sionally by  Messrs.  John  Graham,  William  Robinson, 
Henry  Martin  and  James  McCrea,  and  by  Messrs. 
Hunter  and  Lamb.  The  only  minister  who  was  ever 
installed  over  them  as  pastor  was  the  Rev.  James 
Davenport,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  steps  had 
already  been  taken  for  severing  this  tie. 

It  may  well  be  said  that  one  of  the  greatest  miracles  of 
Christianity  is  that  it  has  survived  the  fierce  disputes  and 
conflicts  among  its  professors.  That  good  and  conscien- 
tious men  should,  in  the  excitement  and  war  of  words,  in 
the  name  of  the  gentle  and  loving  Prince  of  Peace,  become 
the  victims  of  intense  prejudice,  and  employ  caricature, 
misrepresentation,  denunciation,  and  the  most  reproach- 
ful epithets,  is  a  painful  commentary  on  the  weakness  of 
human  nature,  and  shows  the  necessity  of  applying  the 
apostolic  injunction,  "  Let  not  your  good  be  evil  spoken 
of."  Schism  is  always  to  be  deprecated.  This  breaking 
up  of  the  visible  Church  into  hundreds  of  fragments, 
each  more  anxious  to  win  from  the  other  than  to  bring 
souls  to  Christ,  should  cease  everywhere,  and  untiring 
effort  should  be  put  forth  to  break  down,  or  rather  melt 
down,  the  walls  that  separate  the  true  friends  of  Christ. 
Let  there  be  "  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of 
peace,"  and  the  "  love  which  never  faileth,"  however  it 
may  be  as  to  names  and  outward  organizations.  The 
existence  of  sects  is  a  fruit  and  evidence  of  human  de- 
pravity, and  the  bigotry,  fanaticism,  proselytism,  pious 
frauds  and  carnal  strategy  which  follow  in  the  train  are 
deplorable.  It  was  well  said  by  Paul,  "  Whereas  there 
are  strifes  and  divisions  among  you,  are  ye  not  carnal  ?" 

It  is  yet  more  unfortunate  that  these  conflicts  should 
so  often  come  in  to  mar  some  of  the  most  glorious  dis- 


119 

plays  of  divine  power  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  This 
is  the  policy  of  the  prince  of  darkness  to  arrest  the  pro- 
gress of  the  work.  So  it  was  when  the  Rev.  James 
Davenport  was  flying  from  place  to  place  in  New  Eng- 
land and  on  Long  Island,  proclaiming  of  faithful,  labo- 
rious pastors  that  they  were  unconverted  men,  and 
exhorting  the  people  not  to  listen  to  them  as  spiritual 
teachers — in  fact  doing  and  saying  what  he  could  not 
review,  except  with  deep  regret  and  penitential  sorrow. 

The  Rev.  James  Davenport  was  the  son  of  the  Rev. 
John  Davenport,  of  Stamford,  Connecticut,  and  grandson 
of  the  Rev.  John  Davenport,  father  of  the  New  Haven 
Colony;  born  at  Stamford,  1710;  graduated  at  Yale, 
1732.  He  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Suffolk,  Long  Island,  October 
26,  1738.  His  relation  continued  until  1744  ;  but  that 
interval  of  between  five  and  six  years  was  marked  by 
some  of  the  most  extravagant  and  erratic  proceedings 
which  were  ever  appendages  of  revival  scenes.  His 
retractation  in  full  is  printed  in  Dr.  Sprague's  Annals, 
and  need  not  be  copied.  During  the  last  years  of  his 
life  he  was  quiet,  meek  and  humble,  content  to  labor  in 
obscurity  with  the  small  number  who  continued  at 
Maidenhead  and  Hopewell  to  adhere  to  the  New  Side. 
He  did  not  live  to  participate  in  the  happy  reunion  of 
the  divided  Presbyterian  Church  in  1758,  although  he 
had  seen  it  foreshadowed  in  the  famous  "Irenicum 
Ecclesiasticum  "  of  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent,  in  1749. 

He  died  at  the  New  Side  parsonage  (the  property  of 
the  late  John  Cain,  in  Hopewell,  near  the  Lawrence 
line),  November  10,  1757.  His  age  on  the  tomb- 
stone covering  his  remains  is  given  as  forty ;  it  should 


120 

be  forty-seven.  In  the  midst  of  that  little  churchyard, 
one  mile  west  of  Pennington,  you  may  read  this  in- 
scription : 

IN    MEMORY   OF 

The  Rev.  JAMES  DAVENPORT. 

who  departed  this  life 
Nov.  10,  1757, 
Aged  40  years. 

0,  Davenport !  a  Seraph  once  in  clay — 

A  brighter  Seraph  now  in  heavenly  day — 

How  glowed  thy  Heart  with  sacred  love  and  zeal; 

How  like  to  that  thy  kindred  Angels  feel. 

Clothed  in  humility  thy  virtues  shone 

In  every  Eye  illustrious  but  thine  own ; 

How  like  thy  Master,  on  whose  friendly  Breast 

Thou  oft  has  leaned  and  shall  forever  rest. 

By  his  side  lies  his  widow,  who  survived  him  over 
thirty  years : 

IN 
MEMORY   OF 

PARNEL,  wife  of 

The  Rev. 

James  Davenport, 

who  departed  this  life 

August  21,  1789, 

Aged  60  years. 

Two  children  outlived  them.  The  son,  the  Rev. 
John  Davenport,  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Deerfield,  New  Jersey,  where  he  died.  Elizabeth, 
the  daughter,  married  Enos  Kelsy,  of  Princeton,  New 
Jersey,  a  merchant.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelsy  are  buried 
in  the  Princeton  Cemetery. 

Postscript. — The  sources  from  which  the  facts  and 
documents  that  make  up  this  history  are  drawn  are  so 
numerous  that  they  cannot  well  be  recited. 


EVERGREEN  HALL. 


During  the  year  1835  (and  to  some  extent  previous 
to  that),  some  of  the  more  enterprising  citizens  of  Pen- 
nington consulted  together  with  regard  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Female  Seminary,  which  might  furnish  the 
young  ladies  of  the  community  with  instruction  in  other 
branches  than  those  usually  taught  in  the  public  schools. 
The  result  was  the  organization  of  a  stock  company  in 
1836.  The  evidence  of  this  is  the  following  legal  doc- 
ument, which  is  here  copied  in  full : 

Whereas,  it  has  been  signified  to  us  the  undersigned,  that  legal  notice 
was  given  to  the  Association  for  constructing  the  Female  Seminary  of 
Pennington,  to  meet  on  the  18th  of  this  instant,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  choosing  three  Trustees  to  an  institution  for  the  promotion  of  learn- 
ing in  that  village,  at  which  time  and  place  the  persons  so  associated 
and  assembled  did  proceed  to  elect  by  plurality  of  voices  three  Trustees 
to  the  same  Association.  And  by  the  minutes  of  the  meeting,  under  the 
signature  of  the  President  and  Clerk  respectively,  it  was  also  signified 
that  the  undersigned  were  elected  Trustees  of  the  same. 

Now,  therefore,  we  certify  that  this  Institution  for  the  promotion  of 
learning  takes  and  would  be  known  by  the  name  of  the  Female  Semi- 
nary of  Pennington.  And  for  the  guidance  and  government  of  all  per- 
sons who  are  or  may  be  concerned,  this  writing  is  to  be  recorded  in  due 
form  of  law  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  County  of  Hunterdon. 

Given  under  our  hands  and  seals  this  nineteenth  day  of  March,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  One  Thousand  Eight  Hundred  and  Thirty  Six. 

Joseph  Titus,  [l.  s.] 
Isaac  Welling,  [l.  s.] 
Andrew  Titus,  [l.  s.] 

Recd  Mar.  29,  1836,  at  the  Clerk's  Office  in  Hunterdon  County,  and 
recorded  in  Vol.  2  of  Incorporations,  &c.     Farlee,  Clk. 


122 

Besides  the  trustees  above  named,  Dr  Henry  W. 
Blachly,  Dr.  Absalom  Blachly,  Dr.  James  B.  M'Nair 
and  other  gentlemen  were  interested,  and  subscribed 
liberally.  A  lot  was  purchased  and  an  excellent  brick 
building  erected  by  Augustine  M.  Vankirk,  architect. 
The  services  of  the  wife  of  the  Bev.  George  C.  Hyde, 
from  New  England,  were  engaged,  and  the  seminary  was 
set  in  operation.  For  the  first  year,  success  seemed  to 
crown  the  effort,  but  for  some  causes,  now  unknown, 
the  principal  left  at  the  end  of  the  year.  This  discour- 
aging feature  deterred  many  from  subscribing  additional 
stock  sufficient  to  pay  for  the  seminary  edifice ;  the 
stock  already  paid  in  was  voluntarily  sacrificed,  and 
Mr.  Vankirk  took  the  building  on  his  own  hands,  to 
meet  the  cost  of  material  and  work. 

While  the  property  was  held'  by  Mr.  Vankirk,  for 
two  or  more  years  an  excellent  school  was  maintained 
by  Boswell  Howe,  Esq.,  and  two  of  his  daughters.  In 
the  spring  of  1841,  having  offered  it  for  sale,  it  was 
bought  by  an  association  of  gentlemen  connected  with 
the  Presbyterian  congregation  of  Pennington.  Joseph 
Titus,  of  Titusville,  assumed  the  payment  of  one-half 
the  purchase-money,  and  the  balance  was  made  up  by 
Asa  Hunt,  Aaron  Hart,  Sr.,  Bev.  George  Hale,  Stephen 
B.  Smith,  Aaron  Hart,  Jr.,  J.  Smith  Hart,  George 
Woolsey,  Andrew  Titus,  Garret  J.  Schenck,  and  Eph- 
raim  Woolsey. 

The  Misses  Scovel  were  employed  to  take  charge  of 
the  department  of  instruction,  and  Mrs.  Ann  Beed 
of  the  boarding  department.  This  arrangement  con- 
tinued until  the  month  of  November,  1842,  when 
the  young  lady  who  was  acting  as  principal  accepted 
(as  ladies  have  a  right  to  do)  a  position  for  life  as  the 


123 

companion  of  a  worthy  gentleman  who  had  won  her 
affections. 

At  this  date  began  the  labors  of  Miss  Mary  L.  Hale, 
who  eventually  bought  the  property,  and  named  it 
Evergreen  Hall.  Miss  Hale  continued  in  the  discharge 
of  active  services  as  principal  for  twenty-seven  years, 
having  the  aid  of  her  two  sisters  after  the  spring  of  the 
year  1845.  For  about  two  years  previous  to  the  latter 
date,  Mr.  David  N.  Wiley  superintended  the  boarding 
department.  In  consequence  of  the  protracted  and 
dangerous  illness  of  one  of  the  sisters,  in  connection 
with  the  death  of  another  which  had  occurred  a  year  or 
two  previous,  Miss  Hale  resolved,  after  the  anniversary 
exercises  in  the  summer  of  1869,  to  discontinue  the 
school  for  at  least  one  year.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
in  July,  1870,  Miss  Wragge  became  the  principal,  and 
so  continued  for  four  years,  with  moderate  success. 

Miss  Mary  L.  Hale  resumed  the  charge  of  Evergreen 
Hall  in  September,  1874,  and  proposes  to  continue  the 
work  of  education  with  such  assistants  as  she  may  be 
able  to  obtain. 

In  the  past  there  has  been  special  effort  to  secure 
thoroughness  in  all  the  fundamental  brandies  of  educa- 
tion, while  the  languages,  mathematics,  sciences,  and 
the  ornamental  branches,  have  received  due  attention. 
There  has  also  been,  without  intermission,  an  earnest 
regard  for  the  moral  culture  and  the  spiritual  and  eter- 
nal welfare  of  the  pupils. 

Not  a  little  of  the  instruction  has  been  entirely  gratu- 
itous ;  much  of  it  at  a  greatly  reduced  price,  and  always 
at  moderate  charges,  much  below  those  of  institutions 
of  the  same  grade.  The  seminary  was  founded  that  it 
might  be  an  instrument  of  good,  and  it  has  not  been  a 


124 

failure.  It  has  been  eminently  a  blessing,  not  only  in 
Pennington  and  its  vicinity,  but  to  families  widely  scat- 
tered through  our  country  and  in  foreign  lands.  Several 
of  the  graduates  have  married  ministers  of  the  gospel ; 
some  have  gone  out  as  missionaries  to  the  heathen,  and 
others  have  done  themselves  and  their  teachers  credit 
by  their  usefulness  in  the  spheres  they  have  been  called 
to  occupy. 

That  this  institution  may  yet  prosper,  the  fervent 
prayers  and  earnest  co-operation  of  the  Christian  people 
of  the  Pennington  congregation  are  solicited. 


SUBSCRIPTIONS  FOR  REBUILDING  THE  CHURCH, 

1874-75. 


The  following  record  of  the  offerings  of  the  donors  to  replace  the 

church  that  was  burnt  down  in  January,  1874,  is  due  to  those  who  gave, 
and  to  others  also,  as  an  example  of  a  prompt  answer  to  a  call  of  God 
for  free-will  offerings': 

Daniel  C.  Titus,  $350  00 

Archibald  Updike,  325  00 

John  Stevenson  Hunt,  300  00 

George  Lauing  &  Sons,  380  00 

Theod.  F.  Titus.  310  00 

Reuben  Titus,  Jr.,  250  00 

H.  P.  &  E.  L.  Welling,  300  00 

David  B.  Burd,  225  00 

Aaron  Hart,  200  00 

John  S.  Vancleve,  200  00 

Reuben  Titus,  Sr.,  225  00 

Henry  J.  Blackwell,  250  00 

Azariah  Hunt,  200  00 

William  C.  Lewis,  200  00 

Lizzie  M'Lenahan,  225  00 

William  Pomyea,  125  00 

Jesse  Atchley,  125  00 
Joseph  Pierson  Blackwell,     110  00 

John  Phillips  Hart,  105  00 

John  H.  Drake,  100  00 

Susan  Chamberlain,  100  00 

Sarah  S.  Vannoy,  ■      100  00 

John  L.  Phillips,  100  00 

Elizabeth  Wiley,  100  00 

J.  E.  Parker,  150  00 

Moses  II.  Burroughs,  150  00 
Enoch  Armitage  Blackwell,  100  00 

John  H.  E.  Bake,  100  00 

Charles  T.  Blackwell,  100  00 

John  Fleming,  100  00 

William  B.  Curtis,  100  00 

Hannah  Atchley,  100  00 

R.  S.  Learning  100  00 


George  Woolsey, 

$1 100  00 

John  Smith  Hunt, 

1000  00 

Joseph  A.  Frisbie, 

1104  50 

C.  II.  &  II.  P.  Muirheid, 

for  Bell,  §371  58 

Cash,          740  00 

mi  58 

Enoch  Ketcham,  N.  Y., 

•  1000  00 

Wm.  Harrison  Muirheid, 

180  00 

John  G.  Muirheid, 

240  00 

Sallie  Muirheid, 

150  00 

E.  M.  Titus, 

15  00 

John  Ogden, 

200  00 

Wm.B.  Muirheid, 

200  00 

Rev.  Daniel  R.  Foster, 

700  00 

John  E.  Burd, 

600  00 

Samuel  B.  Ketcham, 

650  00 

Catharine  Ketcham, 

450  00 

Geo.  W.  Ketcham,  Newark,    50  00 

Wm.  Smith  Ketcham,    " 

500  00 

Louisa  Ketcham, 

100  00 

Mary  M.  Ketcham, 

60  00 

Maggie  S.  Ketcham, 

60  00 

Henry  B.  Perrine, 

580  00 

Isaac  Voorhees, 

525  00 

Enoch  A.  Titus, 

500  00 

Timothy  II.  Hunt, 

550  00 

Andrew  Ege, 

500  00 

Enoch  Blackwell, 

500  00 

Joseph  II.  Goldenf 

300  00 

Ralph  Ege, 

300  00 

Mary  Lay  Hale, 

300  00 

Rev.  George  Hale,  D.D., 

300  00 

George  Hale,  Jr.,  M.D. 

25  00 

126 


Louisa  Updike,  $100  00 

S.  Moore  Hart,  100  00 

Abigail  Hart,  50  00 

Israel  Hart,  100  00 

Levi  T.  Atchley,  100  00 

Aaron  V.  Stout,  100  00 

George  H.  Titus,  100  00 

Hannah  Moore,  50  00 

Nathaniel  Hart,  50  00 

Edward  Updike,  25  00 

William  L.  Burroughs,  85  00 

Joseph  B.  Wiggins,  25  00 

M.  A.  Wragg,  30  00 

Hezekiah  Anderson,  50  00 

Asa  Titus  Hart,  25  00 

Isaac  Primmer,  30  00 

Elizabeth  Drake,  50  00 

Moses  Stout  Drake,  30  00 

Thomas  Holcombe,  50  00 

Furman  D.  Updike,  25  00 

Wm.  P.  Manners,  50  00 

Samuel  C.  Cornell,  25  00 

Anne  C.  Blackwell,  25  00 

William  H.  Moore,  25  00 

Mary  D.  Coryell,  20  00 

William  Morris  Titus,  20  00 

Hannah  Titus,  '30  00 

Rachel  Updike,  5  00 

Thomas  P.  Moore,  50  00 

George  R.  Cooke,  48  50 

David  Chatten,  5  00 

Jonathan  Anderson,  10  00 

Isaac  Hawkins,  10  00 

Susan  Whitenach,  10  00 

Robert  H.  Drake,  15  00 

Richard  Brewer  Hunt,  3  00 

Keturah  Phillips,  10  00 

R.  Lavinia  Hart,  10  00 

F.  W.  Swan,  25  00 
Crook  S.  Conrad,  20  00 

G.  Frelinghuysen  Cook,  20  00 
P.  S.  Hoagland,  15  00 
Anthony  Reed,  Jr.,  10  00 
Alfred  S.  Burd,  5  00 


Gideon  B.  Burd,  £20  00 

Reuben  H.  Burd,  10  00 

Mary  Brown,  10  00 

Charles  Schenck,  10  00 

Elizabeth  Stout,  18  00 

William  Hoppock,  5  00 

Hannah  Herron,  10  00 

Eliza  Drake,  10  00 

Georgianna  Young,  5  00 

Jesse  M.  Temple,  10  00 

Ida  Hart,  20  00 

H.  Welling  Stout,  10  00 

Ralph  Phillips,  10  00 

Robert  H.  Drake,  10  00 

Ralph  S.  Hart,  10  00 

Elias  Skillman,  10  00 

Noah  II.  Tindall,  30  00 

A.  Titus  Atchley,  15  00 

Sophia  Harvey,  20  00 

George  Updike,  10  00 

Gertrude  Taylor,  15  00 
Wesley  B.  Taylor,  .  10  00 
Elizabeth  Temple,             -       10  00 

Hannah  M'Clellan,  30  00 

Lucinda  Hurley,  5  00 

Daniel  Hurley,  5  00 

James  R.  Bergen,  25  00 

Emma  K.  Titus,  10  00 

L.  V.  D.  Schenck,  15  00 

E.  L.  Cheeseman,  10  00 

Sarah  Wilgus,  15  00 

Phoebe  Titus,  15  00 

Abbie  Beakes,  10  00 

Stephen  H.  Golden,  5  00 

Asa  II.  Drake,  25  00 

Annie  A.  Schenck,  10  00 

George  A.  Hill,  20  00 

Benj.  S.Hill,  10  00 

Emma  A.  Titus,  5  00 

Isaac  V.  C.  Wychoff,  5  00 

James  V.  Wilson,  5  00 

Joshua  L.  Allen,  5  00 

Sedgewick  F.  Sharpe,  5  00 

J.  A.  Dilks,  10  00 


127 


George  S.  Woolsey, 

William  K.  Burd, 

George  Anderson, 

Dr.  S.  M.  Ilamill,  Lawrence, 

Rebecca  Corwine, 

Wm.  II.  II.  Warnian, 

Ellen  Vandyke, 

Jonathan  S.  Bunn, 

A.  P.  Yoorhees, 

David  C.  Udy, 

J.  P.  Bobb, 

Jacob  Dilts, 

Lizzie  Woolsey, 

J.  J.  Leming, 

Jacob  Jaffer, 

Benj.  S.  Drake, 

John  Blackwell, 

Rachel  Page, 

Mary  C.  Page, 

Sarah  Furrnan, 

Julia  Furman, 

Charles  Hart, 

Amos  Furman, 

Livingston  II.  Titus, 

Mrs.  Charles  T.  Blackwell, 

Mrs.  Matilda  Furman, 

John  Ilandony, 

L.  J.  Titus, 

Charles  II.  Blackwell, 

Mrs.  John  Golden, 

Manning  D.  Scudder, 

Abner  Lemming, 

Wilson  Hunt, 


Children's 
Joseph  G.  Muirheid, 
S.  II.  Titus, 
Charles  M.  Titus, 
Hartley  Updike, 
L.  &  A.  Updike, 
Benj.  F.  Taylor, 
Charles  Cheeseman, 
Rosalie  C.  Titus, 
Mary  Titus, 
Allen  Anderson, 


List. 


$5  00 

A.  J.  Drexel,          Phila., 

$25  00 

25  00 

Geo.  W.  Childs,           " 

20  00 

5  00 

Miss  Susan  Dickson,  " 

80  00 

75  00 

Levi  Knowles, 

50  00 

10  00 

Ashbel  Welch,  Lambertville,150  00 

10  00 

Elizabeth  Seabrook, 

« 

10  00 

25  00 

James  D.  Stryker, 

it 

50  00 

1  00 

G.  Williams, 

a 

10  00 

5  00 

C.  Frank  Moore, 

a 

10  00 

5  00 

S.  S.  Holcombe, 

u 

10  00 

10  00 

Augustus  C.  Barber, 

u 

10  00 

5  00 

A.  H.  Holcombe, 

H 

10  00 

5  00 

Jacob  Servis, 

a 

5  00 

5  00 

Charles  V.  Holcombe, 

a 

15  00 

2  00 

William  E.  Stryker, 

a 

5  00 

5  00 

Cornelia  Bowne, 

u 

5  00 

25  00 

J.  A.  Anderson, 

a 

30  00 

10  00 

Jane  Hart, 

U 

10  00 

5  00 

Ann  E.  Weeclen, 

it 

25  00 

5  00 

E.  S.  M'llvain,          Ewing, 

25  00 

5  00 

John  R.  Hendrickson, 

a 

50  00, 

5  00 

William  Matthews, 

a 

2  00 

5  00 

William  Hendrickson, 

it 

5  00 

25  00 

Orin  B.  Faussett, 

u 

25  00 

20  00 

Jacob  Maple, 

u 

5  00 

20  00 

E.  Webster  Lanning, 

u 

10  00 

2  00 

Thomas  Crozer, 

(I 

5  00 

10  00 

Eben'r  R.  Hendrickson 

a 
i 

5  00 

10  00 

Samuel  T.  Atchley, 

u 

10  00 

2  00 

William  H.  Cox, 

a 

5  00 

5  00 

Eliza  L.  Hendrickson, 

a 

25  00 

10  00 

Randolph  S.  Hunt, 

U 

10  00 

25  00 

Alfred  Muirheid, 

u 

25  00 

William  A.  Hough, 

a 

25  00 

Amos  Reeder, 

a 

25  00 

5  00 

James  B.  Green, 

a 

15  00 

2  00 

Alexander  B.  Green, 

u 

25  00 

2  00 

Joseph  Swartzlander, 

C< 

5  00 

3  00 

James  A.  Hendrickson 

u 

5  00 

1  00 

Armitage  Green  &  Bro 

it 

5  00 

2  00 

Paul  Tulane,     Princeton, 

100  00 

1  00 

C.  O.  Iludnut,          " 

10  00 

5  00 

John  V.  Terhune,  " 

looo 

2  00 

Hon.  H.  W.  Green,  Trenton, 

,  300  00 

62 

Ephraim  Woolsey, 

a 

100  00 

Samuel  R.  Smith,  Trenton. 

Samuel  Roberts,  " 

Edmund  Roberts,  " 

Hon.  A.  G.  Richey,  " 

Caleb  S.  Green,  Esq.  " 

Dr.  W.  W.L.Phillips,  " 

H.  G.  Scudder,  " 

George  S.  Green,  " 

Hon.  E.  W.  Scudder,  " 

Benjamin  Fish,  " 

E.  B.  Fuller,  " 

Joseph  G.  Brearley,  " 

Jonathan  Stewart,  " 

William  J.  Owens,  " 

Barker  Gummere,  " 


128 

$100  00  Hon.  Jno.  T.  Nixon,  Trenton,  $50  00 

50  00  Peter  Katzenbach,  "  25  00 

25  00  John  S.  Noble,  "  50  00 

100  00  William  Dolton,  "  25  00 

1*0  00  Alexander  Dunn,  "  25  00 

25  00  William  R.  Titus,  "  50  00 

50  00  Miller  &  Wiley,  "  25  00 

50  00  David  Shaw,  "  5  00 

100  00  Charles  Baker,  "  5  00 

50  00  J.  R.  Freese,  "  10  00 

100  00  Albert  D.  Smith,  "  10  00 

50  00  J.  F.  Stukert,  "  120  00 

150  00  B.  Ridgeway,  "  100  00 

25  00  Murphy  &  Bechtel.  "  10  00 

100  00 


In  addition  to  the  above  there  were  received  by  the  Treasurer  from 
the  Ladies'  Funds,  from  Harvest  Homes,  from  the  collection  on  Dedica- 
tion Day,  and  various  other  sources,  $2,378  00. 


The  following  Subscribers  were  omitted: 


Titus  &  Conrad,  Trenton,  $50  00 


C.  H.  Skirm, 

50  00 

Jasper  Scudder, 

25  00 

E.  W.  Evans, 

20  00 

J.  H.  Clark, 

2OO0 

B.  W.  Titus, 

21 1  oo 

S.  D.   Irvin,  Pennington,  $100  00 
J.  Smith  Hart,         "  5  00 

Rebecca  Vancleve,"  5  00 

M.  W.  Pardoe,        "  25  00 


ERRATA. 


On  page  3,  among  the  Elders,  for  John  Smith  Hart 
read  John  Smith  Hunt. 

On  page  111.  for  Neshiminy  read  Neshaminy. 

On  page  125,  for  William  B.  Curtis  read  William  B. 

CURLIS. 

On  page  126,  for  L.  V.  D.  Sehenck  read  P.  V.  D. 

SCHENCK. 


